Class o 

Book -JL 

Copyright N°... 

COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



Eternal Life 



BY 



Rev. Rufus Calvin Zartman, D. D, 



PHILADELPHIA: 

Press of Lewis K. Rogers 
1901 



THH LIBRAWV U\r 

CQNGR£SS, 

TWO COHW* RECEDED 

OCT. 25 1901 

Copyright entry 
CLASS C^XXo. No- 
COPYS. 



Copyright, 1901, by 
Rev. R. C. Zartman 



To 

The Members 
Of 

Heidelberg Reformed Church 
Of Philadelphia 
This Volume 
Is 

Dedicated 



PREFACE 



My book entitled 11 Heaven " met with such 
prompt and wide acceptance, that I am encour- 
aged to offer to the public this volume on a 
kindred subject. The two books do not how- 
ever cover the same ground. 

These sermons were conceived and born 
during a revival of religion. They were 
preached primarily to quicken those that are 
1 ' ordained unto eternal life," and secondarily 
to attract the unsaved "out of death unto life." 
Many who heard these discourses have been 
kind enough to say that they had received 
much profit and encouragement from them. 

If Christians will be inspired to better ser- 
vice, helped to fuller appreciation of their 
inheritance, and if some souls "dead in tres- 
passes and sins" will be quickened into spir- 
itual life, I shall give ceaseless praise to our 
Savior for the great and precious privilege of 
publishing these messages. 

Rufus C. Zartman. 

Philadelphia, October, 1901. 

iv 



FOREWORD 



Eternal life ! How stupendous the thought, 
how great the boon, how precious the hope ! 
There is need of defence of this doctrine just 
now, and of a full statement of its meaning. 
Infidels have denied that there was an eternal 
life. Some sociologists and ethical teachers 
have tried to limit it to this life only by making 
much of this world and nothing of the other 
world, like Confucius the pagan. Over against 
these it is important to defend and state the 
true doctrine as it is in the Bible. For truly this 
life amounts to little unless lit up by the hope 
of eternal life. Living without hope of heaven 
is not living at all. Eternal life is not merely 
a hope of the hereafter, but an experience here. 
We welcome this book in its definition of 
eternal life as meaning, not merely duration, as 
some false so-called Christian teachers assert, 
but also happiness in heaven, — not merely 
length of time but height of experience. By 
the defence and definition of this doctrine and 
its abundant proof from Scripture we trust 
this volume will lead many to eternal life of 
which it speaks. 

Jambs I. Good. 

Reading, Pa. 



APPRECIATION 



Eternal life ! No more momentous theme 
can engage the pen of the author, the song of 
the poet, the thought and tongue of the 
preacher, or the attention of the hearer. Its 
issues compass the greatest and best things of 
time and project into the eons of eternity. 

It was my privilege to hear the sermons com- 
posing this book preached to a large congrega- 
tion as a series in evangelistic meetings. Never 
shall I forget the growing interest of the con- 
gregation, and the profound impression and 
the blessed results they produced, in edifica- 
tion, stimulus, and conviction. Some of that 
congregation will look back to that time from 
eternity, with gratitude to God, for it was 
there they received the free gift of God in 
Christ Jesus our Lord. 

It is a great pleasure to know that these ser- 
mons are to be published in a permanent form, 
with the added beauty and power of maturer 
thought, riper experience, and greater submis- 
sion to the Spirit of Life. Such a book is 
needed. May it be a blessing to its greater 
congregation : some of whom shall enter into 
fuller appreciation and appropriation of our 
marvelous inheritance in Christ ; and may 
many others begin hepe and now that blessed, 
abundant life, hid with Christ in God. 

Parity B. Zartman. 

Philadelphia. 

vi 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 

I 

Eternal Life Defined n 

II 

Eternal Life A Gift 25 

III 

Eternal Life How Obtained ... 37 
IV 

Eternal Life For Whom .... 51 
V 

Eternal Life Here 65 

VI 

Eternal Life Hereafter .... 79 
VII 

Assurance Of Eternal Life ... 95 
VIII 

The Resurrection Of Life . . . 113 



vii 



LIFE ETERNAL 



This is life eternal, that they might know 
thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom 
thou has sent. John 17 : 3. 

The wages of sin is death ; but the gift of 
God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our 
Lord. Rom. 6 : 23. 

Good Master, what shall I do that I may 
inherit eternal life? Mark 10 : 17. 

This is the will of him that sent me, that 
every one which seeth the Son, and believeth 
on him, may have everlasting life : and I will 
raise him up at the last day. John 6 : 40. 

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that be- 
lieveth on me hath everlasting life. John 6 : 47. 

The righteous (shall go away) into life eter- 
nal. Matt. 25 : 46. 

These things have I written unto you that 
believe on the name of the Son of God, that 
ye may know that ye have eternal life. 1 John 
5: 13. 

The hour is coming, in which all that are in 
the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come 
forth ; they that have done good, unto the 
resurrection of life; and they that have done 
evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. 
John 5 : 28, 29. 

viii 



Eternal Life Defined 



I 



ETERNAL LIFE DEFINED 

This is life eternal (aionios zoa), that they 
might know thee the only true God, and Jesus 
Christ, whom thou hast sent. John 17: 3. 

These words are in the prayer chapter of the 
New Testament. It is an utterance of our 
Savior in His high-priestly prayer. As our 
Lord introduced the subject of eternal life in 
prayer, so is it befitting for us to do. Holy 
Father, we praise Thee for Thy Word, written 
and living. We come to search the Scriptures, 
which have brought life and immortality to 
light. We implore the guidance and the illu- 
mination of the Spirit of truth. We thank 
Thee for Jesus Christ Who is our life. By faith 
unite us more closely with Him, and make us 
possessors of the life abounding. Enlighten us 
by the truth, Thy word is truth. Grant us here 
and now to experience in our hearts the begin- 
ning of eternal joy, and after this life give us 
the inheritance of perfect salvation, which eye 
hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath 
entered into the heart of man to conceive ; and 



12 ETERNAL LIFE DEFINED 

therein will we praise Thee forever. For 
Jesus' sake. Amen. 

The mission of Jesus Christ to this world was 
to bring life. His own words declare it. " I am 
come that they might have life, and that they 
might have it more abundantly." John 10 : 10. 
He came from heaven to supply the chief 
necessity of man, which is life. Jesus had 
many things to say to His generation and ours, 
but His supreme message was life, eternal life. 
The life of God carried He within Himself, and 
life brought He to light through His gospel. On 
His lips were the words of eternal life: "The 
words that I speak unto you, they are life." 
John 6 : 63. He carried life in His hand, ready 
to bestow it upon every one willing to receive 
this priceless gift of God. " Ye will not come 
to me that ye might have life." John 5: 40. 
The spring of life He opened, that man, 
every man, might drink and be satisfied in his 
deepest longings. In His inimitable way Jesus 
said, " Whosoever drinketh of the water that I 
shall give him shall never thirst ; but the water 
that I shall give him shall be in him a well of 
water springing up into everlasting life." 
John 4 : 14. 

The subject we have in hand is Eternal Life. 



ETERNAL LIFE DEFINED 13 

A divinely given, divinely grand, and divinely 
glorious theme is eternal life. May we be richly- 
blessed in our contemplation of it ! 

The first question offered for our solution is 
this : Is there an ageless, endless existence of 
happiness ? We know there is a present, trans- 
itory, evanescent life. "What is your life? It 
is even a vapor, that appear eth for a little time, 
and then vanisheth away." James 4: 14. This 
fleeting life we and many more sure now living. 
Prior to our entrance into it, we knew nothing 
of it. Only several years after our birth did 
we have a real consciousness of this present life. 
But do we know there is a life beyond the grave ? 
Have we any information upon that subject? 
Do we know that death does not end all, and 
that there is such an existence called "life eter- 
nal " ? We must know a thing to be, before we 
can describe it. We must know there is eternal 
life, before we can define it. I believe in the 
life everlasting, because the Bible tells me so; 
and I know there is everlasting, ageless life, 
because I believe what the Bible says. Open 
with me your Bible and let us together read : 
" Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal 
life ?' ' Iyuke 10 : 25 . " God so loved the world, 
that he gave his only begotten Son, that 



14 ETERNAL LIFE DEFINED 

whosoever believeth in him should not perish, 
but have everlasting life. M John 3 : 16. "He 
that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit 
unto life eternal. " John 4 : 36. " Search the 
Scriptures ; for in them ye think ye have eter- 
nal life." John 5: 39. 41 My sheep hear my 
voice, and I know them, and they follow me, 
and I give unto them eternal life." John 10: 
27, 28. 11 As many as were ordained to eternal 
life believed." Acts 13: 48. Paul says "the 
gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ 
our Iyord." Rom. 6: 23. "Fight the good 
fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, where- 
tinto thou art also called, and hast professed a 
good profession before many witnesses." 1 
Timothy 6: 12. "The righteous shall enter 
into life eternal." Matt. 25 : 46. The phrase 
"eternal life" occurs forty-five times in the 
New Testament. One statement of God is j ust as 
true as forty-five statements. His telling us 
forty-five times does not make it any truer ; but 
it impresses us more deeply. Forty-five times 
told shows how eager God is to bring us unto life 
eternal. For us then forty-five is better than 
one, and that is just like a loving Father to do 
what is best for His children. From the word of 
God, the Bible, we know there is a future life, 



ETERNAL UFE DEFINED 15 

and that it is everlasting, ageless, forever and 
forever. 

From the Gospel then we know there is 
eternal life, but can we know what it is ? Yes, 
from the same source, God's word. It is not 
to be supposed that we can know all about it, 
for doubtless many things concerning eternal 
life are not revealed ; they are not revealed, 
because we need not know them, and because 
we might not understand them if they were 
written in the volume of the Book. However 
we can and do know many things about eternal 
life, which we can combine as a definition of 
" the inheritance incorruptible, undefined, and 
that fadeth not away." si For the life was 
manifested, and we have seen it, and bear 
witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, 
which was with the Father, and was manifested 
unto us." i John i : 2. 

Eternal life is just what the Bible declares it 
to be,— eternal. The Bible says what it means, 
and it means what it says. The adjective used 
in New Testament Greek with the word life is 
aionio3, which being translated is ageless, 
eternal, everlasting. Eternal life is life that 
shall continue forevermore. It will never 
cease. Nothing can or ever will stop it. God 



16 ETERNAL LIFE DEFINED 

Himself cannot stop it, because He has promised 
to give ageless life to them that believe on 
His Son. " Whosoever believeth on the Son 
shall not perish, but have everlasting life." 
Life means motion, activity, conscious exist- 
ence. Adam had no life as soon as the Maker 
had fashioned his body ; but when the Creator 
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, 
then began man to live, to move, to think, 
to act; then he became a ''living soul," 
a sentient being. That life was cut short by 
sin. The second Adam has come to impart 
life, that has no ending, the life that will keep 
up and endure forever and aye. 

Eternal life is to know the only true God 
and Jesus Christ whom He sent. God can be 
known, and those who know Him should 
rejoice with great gratitude for their knowledge. 
" Let him that glorieth glory in this, that he 
understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the 
Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, 
and righteousness, in the earth : for in these 
things I delight, saith the Lord." Jer. 9 : 24. 
Can a man know God? It is like asking 
whether a man can know his best friend. 
11 God created man good, and after his own 
image, in righteousness and true holiness, 



ETERNAL LIFE DEFINED 17 

that he might rightly know God his Creator, 
heartily love him, and live with him in 
eternal happiness, to glorify and praise him." 
This is the magnificent way in which the Heid- 
elberg Catechism expresses it. Know God as 
the one, the only, the true, the living Jehovah. 
Christ spoke in a region where idolatry pre- 
vailed. The people must learn to know His 
Father as God before they will have eternal life, 
Eternal life is a celestial commodity, which can 
be had alone from "the only true God." It is 
"the gift of God through Jesus Christ." God 
must be known, therefore, by those who would 
obtain eternal life. This priceless benefaction 
can be obtained from no other, only from Him 
who is Creator, Ruler, Benefactor, Love, Light, 
and Life. 

Eternal life is also to know Jesus Christ, 
Whom God hath sent. Here is the only place 
on record where the Son of Mary calls Himself 
Jesus Christ, which name indicates His human- 
ity and divinity. He has a full consciousness 
of being more than human and more than 
divine, that He is human plus divine. Jesus 
Christ must be known as Mediator, Redeemer, 
and Friend. The Jews in the time of Christ 
were deistical in their belief ; they must be 



18 ETERNAL LIFE DEFINED 

taught about a divine-human Savior. To know 
God and Jesus Christ is not merely to recognize 
their existence, not simply to believe in their 
being, nor yet merely to admit their supreme 
majesty, but to trust, love, obey, and serve 
them, to have personal, conscious communion 
with them. This is life eternal. "On earth, 
in heaven, everywhere throughout the universe 
this is eternal life — the only eternal life known 
to Christianity — union or reunion of the created 
mind with God." 

Eternal life is something to apprehend, to 
appropriate even as the gift of a friend. Paul 
commands his son Timothy "to lay hold on 
eternal life." i Tim. 6: 12, 19. Eternal life 
is something to be possessed by us ; it has been 
brought within our reach. It is so near that 
we can " lay hold " of it. Truly God is good. 
He has not kept eternal life away up in heaven, 
but has brought it down here where we are, in 
order that we might " lay hold on it." 
44 He saw me ruined in the fall, 
Yet loved me notwithstanding all, 
And saved me from my lost estate, 
His lovingkindness, O how great !" 
God did not place eternal life in the third 
heavens, where the stars shine, not in the 
second heavens, where the clouds congregate, 



ETERNAL LIFE DEFINED 19 

nor yet in the first heavens where the birds fly. 
Neither did He put it up above our heads 
beyond our reach, but right down here in our 
midst, where we can lay hold on it. Friend, if 
unsaved, will you not lay hold on eternal life ? 
God entreats you, Jesus invites you, the Holy 
Spirit prompts you. Take eternal life and 
know by blessed experience what it is. 

Eternal life is glory and honor plus immor- 
tality. To the believers at Rome the apostle 
Paul writes: " Glory and honour and immor- 
tality, eternal life." Rom. 2 : 7. This is St. 
Paul's definition of eternal life. There is a 
distinction to be made between immortality 
and eternal life. They are not identical ; they 
are separate things e This is made plain in 2 
Timothy 1: 10, — "Our Savior Jesus Christ, 
hath abolished death, and brought life and 
immortality to light through the gospel." 
"Life and immortality ' 1 did Jesus Christ reveal. 
Ivife is one, and immortality is another entity. 
Immortality denotes indestructibility, incorrup- 
tibility, imperishability. Immortal is that 
which will never be destroyed, never annihi- 
lated, never cease to be ; death and the power 
of death is removed from it. Immortality 
is common to all persons ; everybody will 



20 ETS&NAI, UFE DEFINED 

continue to be forever and ever. Immortality is 
unconditional. But eternal life is conditional. 
While all men are immortal, only those have 
eternal life who believe on the Lord Jesus 
Christ. There is only one kind of eternal life, 
but there are two kinds of immortality : one of 
weal, and another of woe, one of joy, and 
another of misery. There is a blissful immor- 
tality, and an immortality of wretchedness. 
You can have either, but not both. Take your 
choice ! Take your choice now ! The fact 
that you are immortal does not imply, neither 
does it secure, entrance into heaven. More is 
needed. "He that believeth on the Son hath 
everlasting life ; he that believeth not the Son 
shall not see life ; but the wrath of God abideth 
on him." John 3: 36. To immortality must 
be added "glory and honor" to constitute 
eternal life. " Glory and honor and immor- 
tality " are eternal life. 

Jesus Christ is eternal life. "This is the 
record, that God hath given to us eternal life, 
and this life is in his Son. He that hath the 
Son hath life ; and he that hath not the Son of 
God hath not life. We are in him that is true, 
even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true 
God, and eternal life." 1 John 5 : n, 12, 20. 



ETERNAL LIFE DEFINED 21 

"I am the Resurrection and the Life." 
John ii : 25. " I am the Way, the Truth, and 
the Life." John 14 : 6. Jesus is eternal life 
incarnate. Take Jesus Christ and you have 
eternal life ! If He is not already your portion, 
I beseech you take Him now by faith. " Be- 
lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt 
be saved." Acts 16 : 31. 



I 



Eternal Life A Gift 



II 

ETERNAL LIFE A GIFT 

The wages of sin is death ; but the gift of 
God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our 
Lord. Romans 6 : 23. 

What a wonderful book is the Bible ! It is 
most marvelous, because it tells us how to be 
saved from sin and its awful guilt. It shows us 
how to live in hope, how to die in peace, and 
how to rise unto the resurrection of life ever- 
lasting. It teaches us how to prepare for the 
future world, so that the saints' rest will be our 
endless, blissful destination. Wonderful Book! 
" There is but one book, the Bible,' ' said Sir 
Walter Scott. A man once sat down to read 
the Bible, an hour each evening, with his wife. 
In a few evenings the husband stopped reading 
and said : " Wife, if this book is true we are 
wrong." He resumed his reading, and after a 
while said : " Wife, if this book is true we are 
lost." With increasing interest the reading 
continued, and not long after the husband joy- 
fully exclaimed: "Wife, if this book is true we 
may be saved'' ! Not many days thereafter 



26 ETERNAL LIFE A GIFT 

both husband and wife were led by the truth 
revealed into the kingdom of all truth. Ah ! 
truly, this is the principal purpose of the Bible, 
to acquaint us with God's great salvation. 
"Search the Scriptures ; for in them ye think 
ye have eternal life : and they are they which 
testify cf me," says Jesus. 

1 ( Hast thou ever heard 
Cf such a book? The author, God Himself? 

The subject, God and man, 
Salvation, life, 

And death — eternal life — 
Eternal death." 
The Bible is a faithful counsellor. It tells us 
of eternal realities. With manifold admoni- 
tions its teachings are impressed and enforced. 
Holy Writ informs us of death — "the wages of 
sin," — doom eternal, and warns us against it. 
The Scriptures paint the shadows along the 
eternal pathway of sin until they deepen into 
"the blackness of darkness." 11 For the wages 
of sin is death." " When lust hath conceived, 
it bringeth forth sin : and sin, when it is fin- 
ished, bringeth forth death." James i : 15. 
But the Bible also assures us that we need not 
walk in sin and get its wages. We need not go 
down into perdition ; for " the free gift of God 
is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." "The 



ETERNAL UF3 A GIFT 27 

Lord is longsufFering to usward, not willing 
that any should perish, but that all should come 
to repentance." 2 Peter 3: 9. "As I live, 
saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the 
death of the wicked ; but that the wicked turn 
from his way and live : turn ye, turn ye, from 
your evil ways ; for why will ye die ? ' ' Eze- 
kiel 33 : 11. " Let the wicked forsake his way, 
and the unrighteous man his thoughts : and let 
him return unto the Lord, and he will have 
mercy upon him ; and to our God, for he will 
abundantly pardon.'' Isaiah 55 : 7. 

" This lamp from off the everlasting Throne, 
.Mercy took down, and in the night of time 
Stood, casting on the dark her gracious bow, 
And everywhere beseeching men with tears 
And earnest sighs, to hear, believe, and live." 

According to Scripture there are three sorts 
of death. The first sort of death is physical ; 
it is the cessation of being in this world ; it is 
the separation of the soul from the body. The 
second sort of death is spiritual. This is the 
fruit and wage of sin. It is the separation of 
the soul from God. 1 i Your iniquities have 
separated between you and your God, and your 
sins have hid his face from you, that he will 
not hear." Isaiah 59 : 2. * * She that liveth in 



28 ETERNAL LIFE A GIFT 

pleasure is dead while she liveth." i Tim. 5 : 
6. "I know thy works, that thou hast a name 
that thou livest, and art dead." Rev. 3:1. 
Death physical is the separation of the soul from 
the body, but death spiritual is the separation of 
the soul from God. The Bible mentions a third 
sort of death. It is eternal death, " the second 
death." It is not annihilation, not cessation 
of being, but it is the fearful end of sin, the 
consummation of spiritual death. It is endless 
exile from the presence and mercy of God, the 
terrible issue, end, and wage of sin. (Rev. 20 : 
11-15). "The wages of sin is death, but the 
gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ 
our Lord." Death and life, spiritual death 
and spiritual life, are here contrasted, and we 
are presented with a way of escape from the 
momentous issues of sin. That way is in 
Christ Jesus our Lord in and through Whom 
there is spiritual, eternal life. How great and 
imperative then is our need of Jesus the 
Christ ! 

Life is a gift, a gift of God. Physical life is 
God-given. "The Lord God formed man out 
of the dust of the ground, and breathed into 
his nostrils the breath of life ; and man became 
a living soul." Genesis 2: 7. "We are the 



ETERNAL UFE A GIFT 29 

offspring of God," and "in him we live, and 
move, and have our being." Acts 17 : 28, 29. 
The life we now live came not by chance, but 
is the gift of God. Adam received his life 
direct from God, the Creator. Through our 
First Parents personal, physical life has been 
transmitted to us. We derive life by imparta- 
tion at birth. But life is still a gift, and it is not 
deserved, not paid as a debt, but bestowed. No 
man can say that he had the right to come 
into possession of physical life. That he was 
born and now lives is not of merit, but of 
mercy. Life so precious, for which a man will 
give all that he hath, is the gift of God. How 
we should then prize and esteem it ! Long- 
fellow exclaims : " Life is the gift of God, and 
is divine." " What a glorious thing human 
life is, and how glorious man's destiny" ! 

Spiritual life is not innate, but imparted. 
" It is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our 
Lord." "Labor not for the meat which per- 
isheth, but for that meat which endureth unto 
everlasting life, which the Son of man shall 
give unto you : for him hath God the Father 
sealed." John 6: 27. 11 1 give unto them 
eternal life, " says Jesus. John 10: 28. "This 
is the promise that he hath promised us, even 



30 ETERNAL IylFE A GIFT 

eternal life." I John 2 : 25. " And this is the 
record, that God hath given to us eternal life, 
and this life is in his Son." 1 John 5: 11. 
The wages (opsonia) of sin are worked for, 
earned, and therefore paid as a debt ; but the 
gift (charisma) of God is the bestowment of 
divine love. Eternal life is not earned, but it 
is the gift of God. Death spiritual is earned, 
it is the sinner's desert ; it is what he has been 
working for ; he has his just dues when he 
obtains " the wages of sin " ; but eternal life 
is the free, undeserved, gracious gift of God in 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Eternal life then, 
unlike the wages of sin, is not earned, not 
acquired by giving an equivalent in exchange ; 
it is conferred out of "love divine, all love 
excelling." Eternal life is bestowed upon us 
without any effort on our part to earn it, and 
without any merit to deserve it. To obtain 
eternal life no expenditure of money is required. 
This truth is hard to realize, and appreciate. 
Here many stumble and fall. It seems that for 
some people salvation would be easier, if it 
were harder to procure. A gift is something 
just given. That is all. 

This beautiful Bible was presented to me as a 
Christmas gift. It cost me nothing. I did not 



ETERNAI, UFE A GIFT 31 

earn it. It was a free gift tome. All I needed 
to do was to receive it, and it was mine own. 
Steam applied makes ships plow the seas, and 
causes locomotives to traverse continents. 
The application of steam as a discovery cost us 
nothing; it was a gift to our civilization. 
Electricity harnessed runs errands for us 
around the world, and propels the wheels of 
industry. This invaluable discovery has cost 
us naught. It is a gift in the providence of 
God. Natural gas, coal, salt, gold, diamonds, 
and all the many other precious metals and 
minerals are gifts from Him, Who created the 
heaven and the earth. If men had only that 
which they have wrought for and earned, they 
would all be beggars, and possibly savages. 
All of our best and greatest possessions, like 
water, air, sunshine, and salvation are gifts of 
God. 

Eternal life is "the gift of God." It is 
God's gift. It is therefore great and good like 
its Author. All other gifts are inferior and 
subordinate. This is the gift par excellence. 
The earth is a gift, — God's gift for us to dwell 
in. We did nothing to make the earth, or to 
bring it into preparation for our abode. God 
did it all and alone. Eternal life, if it could 



32 ETERNAL UFE A GIFT 

be earned, would certainly be earned by those, 
who take their lives into their own hands, and 
go forth among savages to preach the Gospel ; 
but even these toilers say " eternal life is the 
gift of God." Eternal life is, not like pearls 
and diamonds, to be hunted for and found as a 
reward. A gift is not obtained in that way. 
This Bible, as a gift to me, required no search- 
ing on my part to obtain it. It was just given 
to me, and with a large and hearty " thank 
you " I laid hold on it, and the gift was mine. 
Even so, friend, you can have eternal life. As 
flowers from a king's garden can not be bought 
but may be had as a present, likewise the bene- 
factions of the King of kings cannot be earned, 
but may be had as free gifts. So take the gift 
of eternal life, and having taken it, work for 
the Master with all might and diligence, to 
evince your gratitude for and appreciation of 
His gift unspeakable. "Eternal life is never 
represented as earned, deserved, or bought, by 
any believer. God does pay wages, but this is 
additional to eternal life, pay for work done, as 
a saved sinner ; serving God not to obtain 
eternal life, but out of gratitude for the free 
gift of grace." 

A gift implies a receiver. A gift is useless 



ETERNAL UFE A GIFT 33 

unless it is accepted. Sunlight, God's gift to 
the eyes, is of no service to eyes that are blind 
or closed. Air is of no avail, unless we inhale 
it. A bequest becomes serviceable, only when 
received. God's gift of eternal life must be re- 
ceived by you, in order to render it of value to 
you. And it must be accepted now, in this 
present time. ' 4 Behold, now is the accepted 
time; behold, now is the day of salvation/ ' 
The time to accept this gift may expire before 
death comes, and it is certain that after death 
it is forever too late to obtain eternal life. 
Solemn, momentous fact ! Oh ! friend, will 
you not choose life to-day ? A gift refused 
offends the giver. To reject or to neglect 
eternal life is to offend and grieve the heart 
of infinite Love. 

This gift of God accepted brings peace to the 
soul : peace, because you and God are recon- 
ciled ; peace, because the fear of death is re- 
moved ; "the peace of God which passeth all 
understanding"; peace that floweth like a 
river ; peace, Christ-given peace, peace that 
the world cannot give nor take away. Will 
you not to-day, now, accept the gift of God, 
and obtain this blessed, heavenly peace ? 

" The wages of sin is death ; but the gift of 



34 ETERNAL LIFE A GIFT 

God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our 
Lord." "I call heaven and earth to record 
this day against you, that I have set before you 
life and death, blessing and cursing ; therefore 
choose life, that both thou and thy seed may 
live; that thou mayest love the Lord thy God, 
and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that 
thou mayest cleave unto him ; for he is thy life, 
and the length of thy days ; that thou mayest 
dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto 
thy fathers." Deut. 30: 19. 



I 



Eternal Life How Obtained 



Ill 



ETERNAL LIFE HOW OBTAINED 

Good Master, what shall I do that I may 
inherit eternal life? Mark 10: 17. 

Eternal life is not an attainment, but an 
obtainment. A student may acquire an educa- 
tion, a tradesman may amass a fortune, a man 
of enterprise may carve out for himself a suc- 
cessful career, a man in public affairs may win 
distinction and renown, fields of gold may be 
secured by the diligent seeker, but eternal life 
is not to be gotten after this secular manner ; 
it is not an acquisition, but the gift of God con- 
ferred upon those who accept it. It is cot to 
be had as a reward, or a desert, nor is it to be 
found as precious metal and valuable gems are 
found. It is bestowed out of the plentitude of 
divine kindness and mercy, and can be obtained 
only as the expression of God's love. 

Men are so accustomed, in their various rela- 
tions and dealings with each other, to the 
exchange of equivalents, and to the reception 
only of that which they deserve or have earned, 
that any other course of conduct toward them 



38 ETERNAL LIFE HOW OBTAINED 

conies in the nature of a surprise. Men expect 
rewards in the gross form of money, or that 
which money will purchase. They expect to 
earn their wages and after the same manner to 
secure whatever they desire to possess. The 
idea of a gift coming suddenly and undeserved 
a man does not entertain, except as a fiction or 
fancy. He cannot believe that he at least 
should be so favored, honored and blessed. 
Greater still is the surprise when an unexpected 
gift comes from an unknown donor, or from 
one who has been neglected, cr ignored, or 
opposed, or openly rejected. Nothing is more 
surprising than to receive a benefaction from 
such an unexpected source, and without having 
deserved or earned it. On this account it is so 
difficult for us to appreciate the fact, that eternal 
life is a free gift and not a reward or wage. 
But until this great truth is apprehended, no 
one can hope to obtain eternal life. I^et us 
understand that though we do not deserve, and 
can not earn, yet we may obtain life eternal. 
Let us believe that God intends to lift us up 
beyond these surroundings of discomfort into 
everlasting happiness. Though the gift is 
great, and though it seems remote, let us not 
doubt that God designs it for us and that we 



ETERNAL LIFE HOW OBTAINED 39 

can obtain it. Eternal life is assured to us by 
the cross, testified to by our experience, and 
awaiting us in its fullest, most glorious con- 
summation. 

Grave is the task upon me in this sermon. 
Like a burden do I feel it resting upon my 
soul. I am to tell you how eternal life is to be 
obtained. Responsible is the duty ! Upon my 
words to you now may hang your eternal weal, 
or woe. We have learned that there is life 
eternal, that it is the gift of God, and that it 
is obtainable. Very incomplete and unsatisfac- 
tory would it be to stop here. We must now 
be taught how to obtain eternal life, how to 
secure the summum bonum, — the supreme 
good, "the gift of God." Who is sufficient 
for the discharge of this obligation ? I am free 
to confess that I am not equal to this ta3k ; but 
Jesus, the Good Master, is sufficient, and His 
words are life, and spirit, and truth. He shall 
teach you how to inherit eternal life. Before 
you I stand instead of the "Teacher come 
from God," to instruct, to entreat, and assist 
you by His Spirit's guidance. Through me as 
His ambassador and servant, the Lord Jesus 
will answer the question — "What shall I do 
that I may inherit eternal life"? A better 



40 ETERNAL LIFE HOW OBTAINED 

question could not be propounded. It is the 
eternal question concerning eternal life. 

Let us turn to the narrative about Jesus and 
the rich young ruler, whom Jesus loved, as we 
love the song of a beautiful bird, or the kiss of 
a sweet child. That story will teach us some 
practical, useful lessons. "And when he 
(Jesus) was gone forth into the way, there 
came one running, and kneeled to him, and 
asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I 
may inherit eternal life ? And Jesus said unto 
him, Why callest thou me good? There is 
none good, but one, that is, God. Thou 
knowest the commandments, Do not commit 
adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false wit- 
ness, Defraud not, Honor thy father and mother. 
And he answered and said unto him, Master, 
all these have I kept from my youth. Then 
Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto 
him, One thing thou lackest : go thy way, sell 
whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and 
thou shalt have treasure in heaven : and come, 
take up the cross, and follow me. And he was 
sad at that saying, and went away grieved : for 
he had great possessions. 5, Mark 10 : 17-22. 

Here is a seeker after life, eternal life, like 
Pilgrim fleeing from the City of Destruction, 



3T£RNAL LIFE HOW OBTAINED 41 

That is what we are, — seekers after life ever- 
lasting ; if not this, then have we missed our 
highest calling. Observe some things concern- 
ing this seeker. He is young : not many old 
persons concern themselves about salvation. 
He is a young man : how grand and noble ! 
He is a rich young man : not many rich trouble 
themselves about spiritual things. He was a 
rich young ruler, honorable, respected, influen- 
tial, enjoying the confidence of the people. 
He was earnest, and "came running" : this 
matter is urgent and demands haste ; there is 
no time to lose, if you desire eternal life. He 
was reverent, for he kneeled to Jesus. He was 
not ashamed to talk about personal religion in 
the presence of company; some people are 
ashamed to show their faith in public. He 
was pious, for he had kept the commandments 
from his boyhood days. He was amiable, and 
therefore "Jesus beholding him loved him." 
He was docile, teachable, and therefore he 
came to Jesus to be taught the way of life. It 
is a great and good thing to be willing to be 
instructed by Jesus. Some people would rather 
live in ignorance than to come into the con- 
gregation to be taught of the Lord. He was a 
believer, and one article of his creed was, — i( I 



42 ETERNAL LIFE HOW OBTAINED 

believe in the life everlasting.'* Though so 
religious, so devout, so upright, so honorable, 
so admirable, so splendid, this rich young 
ruler was destitute of that about which he 
earnestly inquired ; and the saddest of all is 
the fact, that when he was told how to obtain 
the gift of God he was unwilling to obey. 
Friend, are you willing that Jesus should teach 
you how to obtain eternal life ? And will you 
follow His directions? If so, let go now of 
your own notions, and fancies, and theories, 
and accept the counsels of Him Who is "the 
way, the truth, and the life." 

The Good Master says that life eternal is 
obtained by hearing His word. "Verily, 
verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my 
word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath 
everlasting life, and shall not come into con- 
demnation ; but is passed from death unto 
life." John 5 : 24, The hearing of the ear is 
followed by the hearing of the heart and will. 
The hearing which Christ requires is such as 
awakens unto obedience and life. This is 
made even more explicit in another assertion 
of our Lord. "Verily, verily, I say unto 
you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never 
see death." John 8 ; 51. The words, the 



ETERNAL LIFE HOW OBTAINED 43 

teachings, the revelations of Christ are like Him 
opposed and alien to death ; they are life and 
peace, and he who accepts and heeds them has 
thereby obtained the eternal life. In the soul 
of the obedient hearer of Christ's word there is 
reproduced spiritual life out of the heart of 
Him who is the Eternal Life. " Being made 
perfect, he became the author of eternal salva- 
tion unto all them that obey him." Hebrews 
5 : 9. The young man, of whom Jesus thought 
so highly and lovingly, was given a word by 
Christ. " Sell whatsoever thou hast, and give 
to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in 
heaven : and come, take up the cross, and 
follow me." Mark 10 : 21. A certain writer 
has beautifully said : " Hold all that you have 
and are for the whole organism of humanity to 
which you belong ; for eternal life is the life of 
duty in an intrinsic sense. It is the altruistic, 
the divine life, and rests upon the character of 
God and the capacity of man ; it is the harmony 
of finite and infinite, the music of the moral 
sphere, the ineffable bloom of universal recti- 
tude." The young man heard with his ears 
the word of the Master, but not in his heart, 
not in his will. He would not obey and there- 
fore he was full of sorrow as he turned aside 



44 ETERNAL LIFE HOW OBTAINED 

the supreme opportunity of his life. How 
sad ! Had he heard obediently he would have 
obtained what he sought to inherit, and the 
lines of this hymn would have been true of his 
experience : 

" I heard the voice of Jesus say, 
1 Come unto me and rest.* 

" I came to Jesus, and I drank 
Of that life-giving stream ; 
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived, 
And now I live in Him." 

The Good Master says eternal life is obtained 
by believing on God. " He that believeth on 
him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and 
shall not come into condemnation ; but is 
passed from death unto life." John 5: 24. 
There must be faith in God, Who so loved the 
world as to give it His only and well-beloved 
Son, and Whose is the gift of life eternal. To 
receive the boon of spiritual life you must be 
convinced of God, think concerning Him, and 
confide in Him. To come into the life sublime 
and endless you must travel by faith in God 
farther than the eye can see, or the telescope 
can discern. 

An illustration may help to elucidate and to 
impress the divine requirement of faith. In an 



BTERNAI, lylKK HOW OBTAINED 45 

Ohio city, where we once resided, the following 
episode occurred between Kvangelist Major 
Whittle and a tramp. These persons met on 
the street and this colloquy ensued, the tramp 
having begged bread : 

Major Whittle — "My friend, are you on 
your way to heaven ? " 

Tramp — "Yes, sir, Tthink so." 

Major — "I doubt that; for David says, *I 
have been young, and now am old ; yet have I 
not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed 
(children) begging bread. ' " Psalm 37: 25. 

Tramp — " Well, I am very hungry." 

Major — "If you wait here till I return I'll 
give you a dinner." 

Tramp— * 4 I'll wait." 

After the lapse of considerable time, Major 
Whittle returned, and finding the tramp there 
asked, "What are you waiting for? " 

Tramp—" For the dinner you promised me." 

Major — " You believed me then? " 

The tramp was taken into a restaurant, and 
in his presence Mr. Whittle paid a quarter to 
the keeper, saying, "Give this man something 
to eat." 

Major to Tramp — "Do you think you will 
get something to eat ? " 



46 ETERNAL UFE HOW OBTAINED 

Tramp— " Yes, sir.*' 

Major — " Why do you think so? " 

Tramp — 11 Because I saw you pay for it." 

Major — " That is just the way to obtain eter- 
nal life. God has promised it to you on the 
condition you would believe His word or believe 
in Him, and the debt, to make eternal life free 
to you, has been paid by Jesus Christ His Son." 

The Good Master says eternal life is given to 
them that believe on Him. " God so loved 
the world that he gave his only begotten Son, 
that whosoever believeth in him should not 
perish, but have everlasting life." "He that 
believeth on the Son hath 'everlasting life." 
John 3 ; 16, 36. "Believe on Jesus Christ to 
life everlasting." 1 Timothy 1 : 16. The 
Good Shepherd in His matchless way says, 
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, 
and they follow me: and I give unto them 
eternal life, and they shall never perish." 
John 10: 27, 28. "As many as received him, 
to them gave he power to become the sons of 
God, even to them that believe on his name." 
John 1 : 12. 

Jesus is the Life, the Life Eternal, and who- 
soever receives Him by faith has obtained 
"the gift of God," and can go onward as 



ETERNAL LIFE HOW OBTAINED 47 

serenely as the stars that rest on the arm of 
Him who made them. " God hath given to us 
eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that 
hath the Son hath life ; and he that hath not 
the Son of God hath not life." i John 5 : 11, 
12. My friend, receive Jesus Christ, and the 
tide from the divine ocean of life will flow into 
your soul. Then will the sweetness of heaven 
entrance your being, celestial joy will fill your 
daily toil, and your life will be interlocked 
with the glorious life of God. Then no service 
will be too hard, no sacrifice too vast, and no 
worship too exultant ! 



i 



Eternal Life: For Whom? 



IV 



ETERNAL LIFE FOR WHOM 

This is the will of him that sent me, that 
every one which seeth the Son, and believeth 
on him, may have everlasting life : and I will 
raise him up at the last day. John 6 : 40. 

There are three sorts of life. There is life 
physical, which we have in common with 
plant and animal. This is lowest in the scale 
of life. There is life mental ; it is the life of 
intellect, of sensibility, of will, and of con- 
science. Intellectual is far above physical life. 
There is life spiritual, which added to natural 
and intellectual makes life indeed. Animal 
and mental life do not constitute the full life 
of mankind. Personal communion with the 
Divine is the complete life of man, the realiza- 
tion of the highest life possible to man. " Life 
in the soul is the tide of the Divine ocean flow- 
ing as it has opportunity through the narrow 
channels of human nature. Everything else is 
only a colorable imitation of life, and a mode 
of existence. Life is in its origin heavenly, 
and cometh down. One must be 'born from 



52 ETERNAL LIFE FOR WHOM 

above ' if he is to enter into life. Jesus casts 
His contrast between physical and spiritual 
life into a felicitous figure : 1 Your fathers did 
eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 
This is the bread which cometh down from 
heaven that a man may eat thereof, and not 
die.' Life is first in God Who is in heaven, in- 
accessible, and next in Jesus Who is incarnate, 
and finally in any man who is in fellowship 
with Jesus : 'As the living Father hath sent me, 
and I live by the Father; so he that eateth 
me, even he shall live by me.' 11 (Watson.) 

The spiritual is the everlasting life, which 
commences on earth and is consummated in 
heaven. "The spiritual is the eternal life, the 
life reproduced in time and in the human soul 
out of the heart of Christ, out of the heart of 
God." (Gordon.) The spiritual life, the Christ- 
like and the Christ-given life, is the full and 
inspired realization of the highest human life. 
This is the future endless life, the hope of 
which has always nestled in the heart of man. 
This is the life that is independent of material 
environment: " for a man's life consisteth not 
in the abundance of the things which he pos- 
sesseth." Luke 12 : 15. This is that life of 
God, which Jesus Christ came to tell us could 



ETERNAL LIFE FOR WHOM 53 

be realized by us. Love, self-denial and self- 
sacrifice are exponents and products of it. "If 
any man will come after me, let him deny him- 
self, and take up his cross, and follow me. For 
whosoever will save his life shall lose it : and 
whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall 
find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall 
gain the whole world, and lose his own life? 
or what shall a man give in exchange for his 
life?" Matt. 16 : 24-26. To this higher life 
Jesus cited attention, when He reminded His 
disciples that truest, highest life was not de- 
pendent on circumstances, and that a man in 
poverty can live like God. "Take no thought 
for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye 
shall drink ; nor yet for your body, what ye 
shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, 
and the body than raiment?" Matt. 6: 25. 
" L,abor not for the meat that perisheth, but for 
that meat which endureth unto everlasting life. ' 1 
John 6 : 27. What Jesus Christ was — the incar- 
nation of spiritual, eternal life — that He de- 
clared His Father was willing to bestow upon 
every one that believeth on His Son. 

The mission of Christ like His message was 
life. He came down from heaven to impart 
life. This is the prime, the foremost truth of 



54 ETERNAI, FOR WHOM 

Christianity, and it always ought to be made 
conspicuous. While on earth Christ did many 
things. He worked and rested, watched and 
prayed, loved and taught, forgave and healed, 
fulfilled law and prophecy, made ordinances, 
instituted sacraments, gave commandments, 
lived humbly, suffered patiently, died igno- 
miniously, and arose triumphantly. In all 
that Jesus said and did and was there reposed a 
supreme purpose ; His burden was to give life 
unto dying, perishing men. Not only was this 
evidenced as the mission of Christ, but as the 
passion of His pure and unselfish heart. "I 
am the living bread which came down from 
heaven : if any man eat of this bread, he shall 
live for ever." John 6:51. "I am come that 
they might have life, and that they might have 
it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd : 
the good shepherd giveth his life for the 
sheep." John 10: 10, 11. This claim is 
echoed by all the teachings of our Lord. 

For whom is eternal life ? I assume that this 
question can be answered by the word of Scrip- 
ture. Our authority being the highest there 
can be no escape from the conclusions reached. 
This problem appears soluble in both a nega- 
tive and positive manner. Let us first work up 



ETERNAL UFE FOR WHOM 55 

toward the answer of our question by ascertain- 
ing who shall not inherit eternal life. 

Those who do not come to Christ will not 
have spiritual life. 41 Ye will not come to me 
that ye might have life." John 5: 40. By 
coming to Christ men obtain life ; by not 
coming they forfeit " the gift of God. " The 
failure to obtain eternal life is always in Holy 
Writ attributed to man's lack of will to be 
saved. "It is not any decree of God. It is 
not God's unwillingness to receive. It is not 
any limitation of Christ's redeeming work and 
atonement. It is not any want of wide, free, 
full invitations to repent and believe. It is 
simply and entirely man's own fault — his want 
of will. Forever let us cleave to this doctrine. 
Man's salvation, if saved, is entirely of God. 
Man's ruin, if lost, is entirely of himself. ' He 
loves darkness rather than light.' He will 
have his own way." (Johnson.) Judas after 
his transgression went to "his own place," 
namely, to the place of his deliberate choice. 

Eternal life is not for those who do not 
believe in Christ. " He that believeth not the 
Son shall not see life ; but the wrath of God 
abideth on him." John 3: 36. "He that 
believeth not shall be damned." Mark 16 : 16. 



56 ETERNAL UFE FOR WHOM 

M He that hath not the Son of God hath not 
life." i John 5: 12. "He that belie veth not 
is condemned already, because he hath not 
believed in the name of the only begotten Son 
of God." John 3 : 18. These are solemn 
declarations, revealing terrible facts in the 
spiritual domain. All will not be saved, and 
all unbelievers will perish ; they 11 shall not see 
life. 5 * Not all who perished in Adam are 
saved by Christ; but "only those who are 
ingrafted into Him, and receive all His benefits 
by a true faith." 

The violator of the sixth commandment does 
not have life. " No murderer hath eternal life 
abiding in him." 1 John 3: 15. "Whoso 
hateth his brother is a murderer. " 1 John 3: 
15. A great revelation ! Consider it ! Not the 
killing, but the intention to kill, is already 
murder. The powder that is explosive and 
the powder that explodes are identical. Hatred 
of a brother is murder. Those who cherish 
such dispositions cannot enter life, for death 
reigns in and over them. Wherever the oppo- 
site of love abides the sixth command is 
violated, and life is precluded. This principle 
is broad in its application. Eternal life is not 
for the base, mean, hating, murderous, but for 



ETERNAL UFE FOR WHOM 57 

those whose dispositions are Christlike. " He 
that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I 
will be his God, and he shall be my son. But 
the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abomin- 
able, and murderers, and whoremongers, and 
sorcerers, and idolators, and all liars, shall 
have their part in the lake which burneth with 
fire and brimstone, which is the second death." 
Rev. 21 : 7, 8. 

Kternal life is not for those who love this 
world more than Christ. This truth was forci- 
bly taught by our Savior concerning the rich 
young ruler, who rather than obey Christ clung 
to his worldly possessions. His heart was cen- 
tered upon earthly treasures. Therefore the 
Good Master said to His disciples : " How 
hardly shall they that have riches enter into 
the kingdom of God ! " " Children, how hard 
is it for them that trust in riches to enter into 
the kingdom of God ! It is easier for a camel 
to go through the eye of a needle than for a 
rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." 
Mark 10 ; 23-25. The fault is not with riches, 
but with the heart set upon them. You cannot 
have both worlds ; therefore take your choice ! 
" I^ove not the world, neither the things that 
are in the world. If any man love the world, 



ETERNAL LIFE FOR WHOM 

the love of the Father is not in him. For all 
that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and 
the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not 
of the Father, but is of the world, And the 
world passeth away, and the lust thereof, but 
he that doeth the will of God abidethfor ever." 
i John 2 : 15-17. 

And now, corning positively to our question, 
we say eternal life is for every one that believeth 
on Jesus Christ. " For this is the will of my 
Father, that every one that beholdeth the Son, 
and believeth on him, should have eternal life ; 
and I will raise him up at the last day. ' ' John 6 : 
40. (R. V.) To every one who believes is "the 
gift of Gcd ' ' ; — to every man no matter how Ic st 
to manhood, to every woman however sunken 
in sin, who will accept the Lord Jesus Christ 
as a personal Savior. Whosoever believeth in 
Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 

The heavenly life is for all who are or will 
be reconciled to God. By nature we hate God 
and our neighbor. 1 ' The carnal mind is enmity 
against God." Rom. 8:7. To remain the 
enemy of God means death, — death spiritual, 
death eternal. To continue to hate God and 
to rebel against Him will debar the soul from 
the Divine presence forever. God will and can 



ETERNAL UFE FOR WHOM 59 

admit into His kingdom and glory only those 
who love Him. As you would not adopt a 
child that hates and reviles you, neither will 
God adopt you into His family and give you 
the heavenly inheritance so long as your atti- 
tude toward Him is that of enmity and rebel- 
lion. To obtain life and to escape death we 
must therefore be reconciled to God through 
Jesus Christ. " If any man be in Christ, he is 
a new creature : old things are passed away ; 
behold, all things are become new. And all 
things are of God, who hath reconciled us to 
himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us 
the ministry of reconciliation ; to wit, that God 
was in Christ, reconciling the world unto him- 
self, not imputing their trespasses unto them ; 
and hath committed unto us the word of recon- 
ciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for 
Christ, as though God did beseech you by us : 
we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled 
to God." 2 Cor. 5: 17-20. 

Eternal life is for those who partake of the 
Bread of life. " Verily, verily, I say unto you, 
He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 
I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat 
manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This 
is the bread which cometh down from heaven, 



60 ETERNAL LIFE FOR WHOM 

that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am 
the living bread which came down from 
heaven : if any man eat of this bread, he shall 
live for ever : and the bread that I will give is 
my flesh, which I will give for the life of the 
world. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except 
ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink 
his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso 
eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath 
eternal life ; and I will raise him up at the last 
day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my 
blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my 
flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me. 
and I in him. As the living Father hath sent 
me, and I live by the Father : so he that eateth 
me, even he shall live by me. This is that 
bread which came down from heaven : not as 
your fathers did eat manna, and are dead : he 
that eateth of this bread shall live for ever." 
John 6: 47-58. Truly Lord, " thou hast the 
words of eternal life, and we believe and are 
sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the 
living God." The sacrament of the Lord's 
Supper is a holy, visible, tangible pledge and 
seal of the eating of the flesh, and drinking of 
the blood of the Son of man, the Son of God. 
These deeply spiritual and solemn words of the 



ET^RNAIy UFE FOR WHOM 61 

Christ call for and demand closest communion 
with Him. The life of the branch is contingent 
upon its continuance in the vine ; unless this 
vital relation is maintained death is inevitable. 
Even so intimate must be our relation, our cor- 
respondence, our fellowship with Christ, in 
order to abide in the Vine and to continue in 
His life and love. Those who have this com- 
munion with the Eternal have the eternal life. 
Communion with the temporal, worldly, and 
-earthly gives temporal, worldly, and earthly 
life. " Like begets like." Fallen angels have 
ceased to have the life of heaven, because they 
ceased to commune with God. By communion 
with the Eternal, His Spirit is imparted to the 
soul and life in Christ is bestowed and fos- 
tered ! Cultivate communion with God ! 

Eternal life is for those whose names are 
written in " the book of life." On an occasion 
of joy Jesus told His disciples to rejoice because 
their names were written in heaven. (lyuke 
10 : 20.) In his vision on the sea-girt isle of 
Patmos, John saw the judgment at 11 the great 
white throne." He saw the books opened, 
" and whosoever was not found written in the 
book of life was cast into the lake of fire." 
Rev. 20: 15. And behold, he saw "the holy 



62 ETERNAL IyIF3 FOR WHOM 

city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God 
out of heaven ' ' ; and lie saw those who entered 
in to walk in its light, and those who were 
excluded from its portals of pearl. His con- 
clusion of the whole matter is expressed in 
these words: "And there shall in no wise 
enter into it anything that defileth, neither 
whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a 
lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's 
book of life." Rev. 21 : 27. 

Friend, is this eternal life for you? Is it 
designed for you ? Is it your possession ? You 
can have it. Will you take it? Will you be 
and do as God directs ? Then shall eternal life 
be yours. Believe in Jesus Christ, and become 
an heir of God His Father to " the inheritance 
of the saints in light," where there is " fulness 
of joy " and " pleasures for evermore." Then 
will you be enabled to say, " God is the 
strength of my heart, and my portion for ever"; 
" surely goodness and mercy shall follow me 
all the days of my life : and I will dwell in the 
house of the Lord for ever." 



Eternal Life Here 



V 



ETERNAL LIFE HERE 

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that be- 
lieveth on me hath everlasting life. John 6 : 47. 

Eternal life is a present possession. 14 He 
that believeth on the Son hath everlasting 
life. " ' ' He that hath the Son hath life. ' ' To 
this plain declaration our Savior has prefixed 
His emphatic — " Verily, verily." A poor 
Catholic man, lying very ill, said to a minister 
of the gospel, "Where is that 'verily'?" 
"What 'verily* do you mean?" asked the 
clergyman. "Why, you preached about it 
the last time I heard you, and I can't find it." 
The minister found and read the verse. The 
sick man, turning toward his wife, said, 
"Mary, I told you there was a hath in it." 
Yes, dear friend, if we have believed, " God 
hath given to us eternal life." 1 John 5 : 11. 
"We are born again, not of corruptible seed, 
but of incorruptible, by the word of God, 
which liveth and abideth for ever." 1 Peter 1 : 
.23. "You hath he quickened, who were dead 



66 ETERNAL LIFE HERE 

in trespasses and sins." Eph. 2: 1. And 
every one that is quickened is "passed from 
death unto life," and shall not come into con- 
demnation. 

The notion prevails widely, that the enjoy- 
ments and rewards of the Christian are wholly 
matters of expectation. Eternal life is very 
generally considered to be concerned about 
and associated with eternity alone. Many 
persons think of eternal life in a vague, dreamy, 
and fanciful manner. Eternal life is far too 
much thought and spoken of as belonging 
entirely to the existence beyond the grave. 
Partly to correct this mischievous error, and 
that we may derive the greater joy and help- 
fulness from eternal life as a present possession, 
do I speak now concerning eternal life in its 
happy relation to the life we are now living, or 
may live as Christians. 

Far too many disciples of Christ are only 
Hope Christians. They are not in present 
enjoyment of life in Christ, but are hoping for 
the enjoyment of life through Him in the 
great hereafter. Their whole present calling 
seems to be merely to hope for glory, to hope 
for eternal life. Of such persons the favorite 
sentiment is expressed in the following stanza : 



ETERNAL IylFE HERE 67 

"Ah, well, for us all some sweet hope lies, 
Deeply buried from human eyes ; 
And in the hereafter angels may 
Roll the stone from its grave away." 
That is grand and good, but something far 
better is possible ; it is that of which Saint 
Paul writes in Philippians i : 21 — " For me to 
live is Christ." Mark that the Apostle does 
not say — 'For me to hope is Christ.' Paul 
was not a Hope Christian, and yet no Christian 
was ever more hopeful ; he had indeed great 
and marvelous hope for the future, but also 
great and inspiring present enjoyment in 
Christ. Otherwise how could we explain his 
words, when he says : " I am in a strait betwixt 
two, having a desire to depart, and to be with 
Christ, which is very far better." Phil. 1 : 23. 
Here he expresses his hope, namely, to be with 
Christ ; but he also evinces his present joy, 
than which only the being personally present 
with the I/Ord Jesus he deems "far better." 
Better than what ? Better than having life in 
Christ here and now. Better than to have 
eternal life here on earth will it be to have 
everlasting happiness in heaven with Christ. 
" In a true and deep sense, all who believe have 
already entered upon the eternal state. They 



S3 ETERNAL LIFE HERE 

have stepped across the frontier line into that 
glorious state of being, in which the changes of 
this mortal existence cannot affect the perma- 
nence of their life or blessedness. * He that 
believeth on the Son hath eternal life.' ,, 
(Meyer.) 

In order to the fulness of present blessing we 
must realize that eternal life begins in the 
soul the very moment that there is a personal, 
believing, loving acceptance of Jesus Christ. 
You are not asked to accept this statement 
upon the strength of my testimony, but upon 
the evidence furnished by the inspired record. 
" And this is the record, that God hath given 
to us eternal life ; and this life is in his Son. 
He that hath the Son hath life. ' ' i John 5:11, 
12. Observe the present tense — "hath life." 
As a believer you need not wait till you get to 
heaven to have eternal life. You have it now, 
this very moment, as truly and really as you 
ever will have it. I take God at His word. 
Consider what Jesus says on this point : M He 
that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." 
John 3 : 36. 11 Verily, verily, I say unto you, 
He that heareth my word, and believeth him 
that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh 
not into judgment, but hath passed out of 



ETERNAL LIFE HERE 69 

death into life.' ' John 5: 24. Jesus does not 
say the believer may, shall, or will have eternal 
life, or may, shall, or will pass out of death 
into life. He puts it in the present tense 
"hath eternal life " and "hath passed out of 
death into life." "Verily, verily, I say unto 
you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting 
life." " Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh 
my blood hath eternal life." John 6: 47, 54. 
If I were asked to parse eternal life I would 
say, it is in the indicative mode present tense 
first person, singular number. Praise the 
Lord ! It is certainly very, very, very plain 
that Jesus would like to have us believe and 
know that we have eternal life now and here. 
He desires us to have fulness of joy and to 
obtain all possible good, and therefore does 
not cause us to wait till we reach heaven to 
enter into His life ; but gives us the great 
boon as soon as we exercise trust in Him. 

" Rest, peace, and life, the flow'rs of deathless 
bloom, 

The Savior gives us, not beyond the tomb — 
But here, and now, on earth, some glimpse is 
given 

Of joys which wait us thro* the gates of 
heaven." 



70 * ETERNAL LIFE HERE 

That eternal life begins here on earth is 
indicated by such biblical phrases as the fol- 
lowing : " Born again," "born from above," 
" a new creature," "now are we the children 
of God," and such like. The moment the 
new birth occurs the eternal life commences. 
" Therefore the righteous enter upon their 
eternal life when they become righteous, that 
is when they by faith appropriate the righteous- 
ness of Christ and so become heirs of an incor- 
ruptible inheritance. They do not enter into 
all the fulness of that inheritance, but they 
do get foretastes and antepasts of the exceeding 
and eternal weight of glory." (Johnson.) 
One article of the Apostles' creed is, — "I be- 
lieve in the life everlasting." One comfort 
which I derive from this article of faith is, 
that I now feel in my heart the beginning of 
eternal joy. 

While unconfined to any time or place eternal 
life is a present possession. A negative proof 
of this fact may be drawn from John three, 
eighteen: "He that believeth on him is not 
condemned : but he that believeth not is con- 
demned already, because he hath not believed 
in the name of the only begotten Son of God." 
The unloving, unbelieving soul is condemned 



ETERNAL LIFE HERE 71 
already in this life ; his eternal doom or death 
begins now and here. Is it not proper and 
just to infer from this fact, that the reward of 
the righteous, eternal life, begins likewise here 
and now? "He that believeth on me hath 
everlasting life." 

" Iyife eternal, so to be developed hereafter 
that Scripture speaks of it often as if it began 
hereafter, really begins here, and develops 
here, and is already 'more abundant ' here. 
It is, as to its secret and also its experience, to 
know and to enjoy God, to be possessed by 
Him, and used for all His will. In this respect 
it is the end, the issue, and the goal, now and 
perpetually, of the surrender of the soul. The 
Master meets that attitude with more and yet 
more of Himself, known, enjoyed, possessed, 
possessing. And so He gives, evermore gives, 
out of His sovereign bounty, life eternal to the 
bondservant who has embraced the fact that he 
is nothing, and has nothing outside his Master. 
Not at the outset of the regenerate life only, 
and not only when it issues into the heavenly 
ocean, but all along the course, the life eternal 
is still 4 the free gift of God.' Let us now, 
to-day, to-morrow, and always, open the lips 
of surrendering and obedient faith, and drink 



72 ETERNAL LIFE HERE 

it in, abundantly, and yet more abundantly. 
And let us use it for the Giver. We are already 
here on earth, at its very springs. For it is 
! in Jesus Christ our Lord. ' And we, believing, 
are in Him, 1 saved in his life.' It is in Him ; 
nay, it is He. ■ I am the Life.' 1 He that hath 
the Son hath the life. 1 In Christ, it is given, 
in its divine fulness, as to covenant provision, 
here, now, from the first, to every Christian." 
(Moule.) 

There is an experimental knowledge of eter- 
nal life, which assures of present possession. 
This must be taken into account, for it is of 
great value as it is also a source of much joy 
and comfort. By blessed experience many 
know assuredly that there is within them 14 a 
well of water springing up into everlasting 
life." Though we have not seen the Lord 
Jesus Christ, yet we love Him ; in whom, 
though now we see Him not, yet believing, we 
rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, 
(i Peter i : 8.) A principle of holiness is 
implanted within the soul, and therefore good 
is loved and evil abhorred. "The fruit of 
the Spirit" is produced, proving the presence 
of the divine life in the soul. A delightful 
sense of forgiveness, a sweet consciousness of 



ETERNAL LIFE HERE 73 

reconciliation with God, blessed fellowship with 
Christ, an evergrowing likeness to Jesus, joy in 
the Master's service, contentment everywhere 
and everywhen, comfort in sorrow, patience 
in tribulation, thankfulness in prosperity, hope 
in disappointment, gladness amid gloom, — 
these and such like fruits in the life of the 
believer attest and manifest the presence of 
that life, which is from on high. Eternal life 
is a precious, prompting possession. It is an 
incentive to service, because it is promised as 
its reward. "As disciples, eternal life is set 
before us as an incitement to self-denial 
(Matt. 19: 29); as workmen, to patience in 
well doing (Rom. 2 : 7, R. V.) ; as stewards, to 
generous liberality (1 Tim. 6: 17-19) ; as sowers, 
to persevering scattering (Gal. 6 : 9); as reapers, 
to rejoicing (John 4 : 36) ; as fruit-bearers, to 
holy living (Rom. 6 : 22)." (Morrow.) 

Eternal life is not only a present possibility, 
but it must be obtained now, or never. Do not 
dream or imagine that you will ever possess 
eternal life hereafter unless }'ou receive it in 
this present time. "Fight the good fight of 
faith, lay hold on eternal life," — is Paul's 
earnest counsel to Timothy. Unless you are a 
partaker of eternal life now and here, you do 



74 ETERNAL LIFE HERE 

well to tremble for the terrible consequence?. 
The only laying hold on eternal life, known to 
us, must be commenced and practiced now ; it 
is now brought to light by Jesus Christ in the 
gospel. The Holy Spirit presents the gracious 
gift to you, and urges its acceptance without 
delay, Beware how you treat the offer ! Spurn 
it not, neither turn it aside ! Seize it now, lay 
hold upon it now, and hold it fast forever ! 
"The life present melts into the life to come. 
What kind of life will that other be? Bo you 
net think that if it is to be a glorious life it 
ought to commence here ? Who would like to 
enter heaven, could it be possible, and feel 
compelled to say, 'I cannot join in the music, for 
I do not know the tune ; I cannot take up the 
hymn, for I know nothing of the song. I can- 
not glorify God, for I never did so while below. 
I cannot adore the Lamb, for I never trusted 
in Him while I was on earth.' You must learn 
the music here, or you will never sing in the 
choirs of heaven." (Spurgeon.) 

This eternal life may be in the soul, and yet 
hidden from the eyes of the world. Skilled 
hands have fashioned pieces of wood to resem- 
ble grains of wheat so closely, that practiced 
eyes could scarcely detect the difference ; but 



ETERNAL LIFE HERE 75 

after the planting of them all doubt was 
removed ; for the genuine had an inner, hidden 
life, which under the right conditions burst the 
seed and sent forth a stalk to ripen into golden 
grain again. Even so, concealed from the 
world's vision, may be the life eternal put by 
the Spirit into the believer's heart. "Your 
life is hid with Christ in God." Col. 3 : 3. 

Mr. Ivlaynard, of Brooklyn, tells how when 
he was a boy, he saw a neighbor making a 
flower-garden. He says : " He spaded and 
hoed and raked ; divided it into regular sections, 
smoothed the surface, rounded the corners, 
trimmed the edges. I went home, determined 
to have a garden like my neighbor's. I fol- 
lowed his course as nearly as I could. I spaded 
and hoed and raked, and when I finished, it 
seemed to me that my garden looked full as 
well as his. In the course of a few days a warm 
rain brought forth in his beds tiny shoots of 
green. I rushed home, expecting to find the 
same in my beds. In vain, nothing had 
appeared ! Day after day, week after week, my 
garden remained barren, while his was the 
pride of the village, with its rare and beautiful 
blooms. What caused the difference ? Was my 
garden not made just as his? Ah ! I had failed 



76 ETERNAL LIFE HERE 

to drop the tiny seeds upon the soil, and all 
my labor was lost." Dear friend, you can 
have and manifest the life everlasting, only- 
after "the incorruptible seed" has been depos- 
ited in the soil of the soul. 

Eternal life is not all in the future world, but 
is the present, precious possession of every 
true believer. " He that believeth in me hath 
everlasting life." The rewards and blessings 
of the Christian life are received and enjoyed 
in large measure already in this life. Let us 
rejoice in this inestimable boon, and thank 
the Lord for blessings given here and now, and 
for the hope of living with Him in eternal hap- 
piness to glorify and praise Him. 

" The men of grace have found 
Glory begun below ; 
Celestial fruits on earthly ground 
From faith and hope may grow. 

" The hill of Zion yields 

A thousand sacred sweets, 
Before we reach the heavenly fields, 
Or walk the golden streets." 



Eternal Life Hereafter 



VI 



ETERNAL LIFE HEREAFTER 

The righteous (shall go) into life eternal. 
Matthew 25 : 46. 

On earth eternal life conies into the believer ; 
in heaven the believer comes into eternal life. 
In that heavenly world all is life and every 
inhabitant is full of the life that knows no end- 
ing. In that supernal realm are 4 * fulness of 
ioy " and " pleasures for evermore." 

Eternal life is not only a present, but a per- 
manent possession. It cannot be lost or for- 
feited so long as we trust and obey. " For the 
gifts and calling of God are without repent- 
ance." Rom. 11:29. Whosoever has received 
"the gift of God " has obtained a life that will 
continue as long as the Giver, without limit or 
cessation. " I give unto them eternal life, and 
they shall never perish ; neither shall any man 
pluck them out of my hand." John 10: 28. 
Kternal life will endure as long as " Christ, 
who is our life," will continue ; for " God hath 
given to us eternal life, and this life is in his 
Son." 1 John 5: 11. The redemptive work, 



; : ETERNAL, LIFE HEREAFTER 

the perfect obedience, and the atoning sacrifice 
of Christ have obtained for us righteousness 
and Life. We are M accepted in the beloved, in 
vrhorn we have redemption through his blood ; 
the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches 
of his grace." Eph. i : 6, 7. Jesus Himself 
is our life. We have accepted Him, and He 
has accepted us. As safe as the work of Christ, 
and as sure as the word of God is the life, 
which we have received by faith on the Son of 
God. 

Whilst eternal life begins in the present life 
or never, it is not completed here. It com- 
mences here and now, and will be consummated 
in the great hereafter. This present life of 
grace will be endlessly projected into the 
future, and with manifold improvements will 
be enjoyed in the immediate presence of our 
dear Savior. In heaven this eternal life, now 
within us, will be developed in the fulness of 
delight and power by an endless progression 
11 from glory to glory." Then will the petition 
of our faithful and compassionate High Priest 
be answered: " Father, I will that they also, 
whom thou hast given me, be with me where 
I am ; that they may behold my glory, which 
thou hast given me." John 17: 24. The 



ETERNAL LIFE HEREAFTER 81 

Christian's death is not a punishment for his 
sins, but "an abolishing of sin and a passage 
into eternal life." For him to be absent from 
the body is to be present with the Lord in the 
place of His glory. (2 Cor. 5: 8.) "Life 
before His eyes was not divided into sections, 
each depending for its character on local color- 
ing. Life here and there — everywhere — in its 
essence and intention, must be the same — con- 
formity to the Divine will— an inward peace 
and joy. As a man lived here in this age, he 
would live in all the ages ; carrying heaven 
within him rather than going into heaven. 
The life of the soul could not be affected by the 
death of the body. Jesus would have consid- 
ered the question, 'Shall I live after death?' 
beside the mark. He would have asked, 
'Have you life now?' for life is ageless." 
(Maclaren.) 

In the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew our 
Lord depicts the scene of final judgment. 
From that momentous theatre two classes will 
depart at the behest of the Judge. The wicked 
will go away into everlasting punishment, and 
the righteous into life eternal. (Matt. 25 : 46.) 
That is a stupendous event, which will tran- 
spire in the great future, to our eyes unseen, 



82 ETERNAL LIFE HEREAFTER 

but to our faith known, and certain of occur- 
rence. 

There is future blessedness not experienced 
here except in part. By happy anticipation we 
are enjoying many of the heavenly realities to 
be revealed to us and in us beyond this vale of 
tears. " Bye hath not seen, nor ear heard, 
neither have entered into the heart of man, the 
things which God hath prepared for them that 
love him ; but God hath revealed them unto us 
by his Spirit." i Cor. 2: 9, 10. "In my 
Father's house are many mansions ; if it were 
not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare 
a place for you. And if I go and prepare a 
place for you, I will come again, and receive 
you unto myself ; that where I am, there ye 
may be also." John 14: 2, 3. Here and now 
we experience in our hearts the beginning of 
eternal joy, but after this life we shall inherit 
perfect salvation. 

Eternal life hereafter will be free from all 
sin. Nothing that defiles can enter the sancti- 
fied abode of the redeemed in glory. However 
vile and sinful they have been on earth, when 
they enter heaven they will all be free from 
sin, from every sin. There we shall be sinless, 
pure-hearted, and "holy even as He is holy. M 



ETERNAL LIFE HEREAFTER 83 

We will be as sinless as Christ. " Beloved, 
now are we the children of God, and it doth 
not yet appear what we shall be : but we know 
that, when he shall appear, we shall be like 
him ; for we shall see him as he is." I John 
3:2. Ah ! beloved, there in our Father's 
House we shall all be perfect. There will be 
no evil thought, no evil desire, no evil word, 
no evil deed. In that pure and holy realm the 
soul of the believing thief will be as clean and 
spotless as the spirit of the innocent child, lifted 
from mother's bosom to the embrace of Jesus ! 
Blessed be His name ! " Unto him that loved 
us, and washed us from our sins in his own 
blood, and hath made us kings and priests 
unto God and his Father ; to him be glory and 
dominion for ever and ever. Amen." Rev. 
1 : 5, 6. 

Eternal life hereafter means entire freedom 
from sorrow and suffering. In this world sin 
is the direct cause, and the prolific source of 
sickness, sorrow, suffering, and death. Inas- 
much as there is no sin in heaven, there will 
be no pains, no trials, no tears, no jealousies, 
no heartaches, no disappointments in that 
happy land on high, where life knows no 
decay. In this world some people suffer much 



84 ETERNAL LIFE HEREAFTER 

and long ; others have comparatively few and 
brief afflictions. Up yonder all will be free 
forever from sickness and suffering. What a 
vast improvement that will be over this mun- 
dane life ! The song of earth is a wail of woe, 
but the song of heaven will be a Te Deum of 
triumph ! 

" Brief life is here our portion, 

Brief sorrow, shortlived care ; 
The life that knows no ending, 

The tearless life, is there." 
"That glorious life, while it is a personal 
and a known life, is also free from all sorrow, 
and misery, and earthly grossness. They are 
neither married nor given in marriage, neither 
shall they die any more ; but they are as the 
angels of God. It is a life of perfect blessed- 
ness, a life of hallowed worship, a life of undi- 
vided glory. Oh, that we were in it ! Oh, 
that we may soon reach it ! Let us think of 
the many who are enjoying it now, and of 
those who have attained to it during the last 
few days. I am sure they are at home in every 
golden street, and fully engaged in the adoration 
and worship of their Lord. Those saints who 
have been in glory now these thousands of 
years cannot be more blest than the latest 



ETERNAL IJFE HEREAFTER 85 

arrivals. Within a very short space you and I 
shall be among the shining ones. Some of us 
may spend our next Sabbath with the angels. 
Let us rejoice and be glad at the bare thought 
of it. Some of us are not doomed to live here 
through another winter ; we shall pass beyond 
these autumn fogs into the golden light of the 
eternal summer before another Christmas day 
has come. Oh, the joy which ought to thrill 
through our souls at the thought of such 
amazing bliss ! " (Spurgeon.) 

Eternal life hereafter will be free from death. 
This is the heart-idea of that life imparted to 
us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We 
shall be like Him, Who after His resurrection 
could say: "I am he that liveth, and was 
dead ; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, 
Amen ; and have the keys of death and of 
hades. " Rev. i : 18. Those who are in Christ 
shall never taste death. "They shall never 
perish." " On such the second death hath no 
power, but they shall be priests of God and of 
Christ, and shall reign with him." Rev. 20: 6. 
The soul saved by Christ is just as free from 
death as is the Author of our faith and redemp- 
tion. The possessor of life eternal is beyond 
the reach of death. In that sphere life is the 



So ETERNAL LIFE HEREAFTER 

rule without exception, and living is the habit. 
4i Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall 
never die." John n : 26. The believer nay 
and likely will pass through the natural change 
called death as to his body, but as to his soul 
he will not and cannot die. It is impregnated 
with the life of Christ. Get the life of God 
into your soul and you shall never die. This 
is a certainty uttered by the mouth of our 
living Lord. The grave is only a landmark in 
the Christian's march and the journey beyond 
is endless in its joy. "I heard a great voice 
out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle 
of God is with men, and he will dwell with 
them, and they shall be his people, and God 
himself shall be with them, and be their God. 
And God shall wipe away all tears from their 
eyes ; and there shall be no more death, neither 
sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any 
more pain : for the former things are passed 
away." Rev. 21 : 3, 4. 

Between the broad bay and the surging sea 
lies a beautiful island slumbering peacefully, 
like an infant in its crib. In their flight to the 
sunny south the migrating birds stop a while 
to rest on this sea-encompassed land ; then 
refreshed they spread their pinions and soar 



ETKRNAIv UFE HEREAFTER 87 



away to the orange groves of Florida and Cen- 
tral America. In that balmy clime, fragrant 
with sweet blooms, the life of those winged 
songsters is at its best. This earth is a rounded 
isle poised between eternity past and eternity 
to come. An old classic says " time is a paren- 
thesis in eternity." The soul of the believer 
rests a while here in Jesus, robing and regaling 
itself with the life Divine, and then it is soon 
cut off and flies away (Psalm 90 : 10) to the sum- 
merland of heaven. There life is at its highest 
and best for ages without end or number. 
11 Beyond the sunset gates of gold, 

Beyond the ocean's gleaming strand, 
There is a land of joy untold — 

A heav'nly summerland ! 

il O fadeless are the flow'rs that bloom 
Upon that bright and happy shore ; 
There is no sorrow, pain nor gloom, 
But joy forevermore ! 

" Within that happy home on high, 

Long severed friends clasp hand with hand, 
And none shall ever say good-bye, 
In heaven's summerland ! 

41 We shall behold the Savior's face, 

As 'round the great white throne we stand, 
And share the wonders of His grace, 
In heaven's summerland ! " (Cleator.) 



88 ETERNAI, LIFK HEREAFTER 

Eternal life in heaven will be infinitely 
diversified. It will not be the same to all the 
saved. " Eternal life is not a dead level to all 
who enter upon it." To all who believe in 
Jesus is given life eternal. But nothing is 
more varied than life. Consider its diversities. 
In vegetable life — orchid, oleander, and oak — 
what diversity ! No two trees or leaves can be 
found alike. In animal life — eel, elephant, 
and eagle — what a vast difference ! In mental 
life — what two minds have like capacity and 
similar conceptions? Vast and interminable 
variety is a law of life. So is it with the life 
eternal ; it is the gift of God to all who have 
it, but different in all of its happy possessors. 
" There is one glory of the sun, and another 
glory of the moon, and another glory of the 
stars : for one star differeth from another star 
in glory." i Cor. 15: 41. A certain writer 
reinforces our thought in the following lan- 
guage: " Eternal life is the portion of every 
one who believes — it is the gift of God through 
Jesus ; but the forms of it, the manifestations 
of it, the capital of it, and the capacities and 
accumulations — the riches, and glories, and 
joys of it, will be as varied as the fidelities, 
and the struggles and the consecrations, and 



ETERNAL LIFE HEREAFTER 89 

the services rendered in the temporal and 
earthly life. There will be points of resem- 
blance, but points of wide contrast, too. There 
will be some things in common characterizing 
all. There will be other things most different, 
deepening and enriching one life far above the 
other. " 

Eternal life will become ever more grand 
and blessed with the flight of eternity's cycles. 
The law of life most familiar to all is that of 
growth, progress, development, " First the 
blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in 
the ear." Mark 4 : 28. " It is sown in corrup- 
tion ; it is raised in incorruption ; it is sown in 
dishonor ; it is raised in glory ; it is sown in 
weakness ; it is raised in power ; it is sown a 
natural body; it is raised a spiritual body." 
1 Cor, 15 : 42-44. The law of eternal life is 
eternal growth, eternal unfolding, eternal 
advancement. I presume after we are in 
heaven a thousand years, we shall say, — be- 
loved, now are we the children of God, but it 
doth not yet appear what we shall be ! 1 After 
millenniums spent in glory, I reckon we shall 
say,—' Beloved, now are we the children of 
God, but it doth not yet appear what we shall 
be ! ' After millions of ages enjoyed in heaven, 



90 ETERNAL LIFE HEREAFTER 

I fancy the same words will mount up to our 
lips for utterance, — 1 Beloved, now are we the 
children of God, but it doth not yet appear what 
we shall be ! ' " No human capacity ever yet 
saw the whole of a thing ; but we may see more 
and more of it the longer we look." (Ruskin.) 
So will be our experience with the life eternal 
in heaven ; more and more will we discover 
its meaning as we live amid its glorious unfold- 
ings and abundant joys. Our celestial promo- 
tion will be from glory to glory 1 * world without 
end." Better and better will we comprehend 
what is the breadth, and length, and depth, 
and height of the love of Christ, which passeth 
knowledge. (Eph. 3 ; 18, 19.) More and more 
will we reflect the likeness of our Lord, and be 
filled with all the fullness of God. 
" From glory unto glory, that ever lies before, 
Still widening, adoring, rejoicing more and 
more, 

Still following where He leadeth, from shin- 
ing field to field, 
Himself our goal of glory, Revealer and 

Revealed.' ' 
In that life above and beyond the temporal 
and earthly, we will be with Christ our Life in 
the endless, effulgent light of God. We will 
be in the full enjoyment of that life, which 



ETERNAL LIFE HEREAFTER 91 

knows no death nor ending. We will be in 
eternal communion with those who left this 
sinful world with the seal of righteousness upon 
their foreheads. We will be in the home where 
God, the everlasting Father, is the Head, and 
Jesus Christ the Elder Brother. With our two 
hands of faith and hope, let us lay fast hold on 
eternal life as the reward of the righteous. As 
a good child thinks often about its earthly 
home, so let us think much about the life 
everlasting. We shall soon be there where the 
streets are paved with transparent gold, and 
where blessed fellowships with those now 
1 'lost awhile' ' will be endless. Rest remaineth, 
perfection is promised, victory is assured, com- 
munion is provided, glory is coming ! Halle- 
lujah ! Glory to God in the highest ! Oh, 
friend, let us see to it that we are ready when 
the Master will either come or call for us ! 
4 * How shocking must thy summons be, O Death ! 

To him that is at ease in his possessions ; 

Who, counting on long years of pleasure here, 

Is quite unfurnished for that world to come ! " 

Dear friend, have you accepted the life eter- 
nal ? If not, delay no longer, choose it now, 
be wise to-day, and happy forever ! How 
manifold and eloquent are the exhortations to 



92 ETERNAL LIFE HEREAFTER 

believe and live ! Loving voices of the living 
entreat us, and the farewells of the dying 
admonish us to make Christ our portion. This 
old earth is hollow with the caverns of the 
dead, and you know not at what moment the 
frail shell will break down, and your last oppor- 
tunity will be past for ever. 
" Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day ; 

Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away." 

Your days will soon be numbered, and the 
sum of them be told, and your pilgrimage be 
ended. Boast not thyself of to-morrow, for 
thou canst not tell what a day may bring forth. 
Your days are determined, the number of your 
months is with God, Who has appointed 
bounds that you cannot pass. Therefore seek 
the kingdom of God, lay up treasures in 
heaven, cenfess and follow Jesus Christ, ''seek 
those things which are above, where Christ 
sitteth on the right hand of God, set your affec- 
tion on things above, not on things on the 
earth" (Col. 3: 1, 2), "fight the good fight of 
faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou 
art also called ! " 

14 Life is short, and time is fleeting, 

And our hearts, though strong and brave, 
Still like muffled drums are beating, 
Funeral marches to the grave." 



Assurance of Eternal Life 



VII 



ASSURANCE OF ETERNAL LIFE 

These things have I written unto you that 
believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye 
may know that ye have eternal life, i John 
5: 13. 

A Christian need have no guess for his dying 
pillow. Many departing saints have had 
visions of rapture and uttered words of triumph 
as their emancipated spirits spread their joyful 
wings to " soar to worlds unknown.** A poor 
sick man lay suffering with the thought that 
he was not accepted of God. A clergyman 
read some precious promises, ending with — 
"No man is able to pluck them out of my 
Father's hand." John 10: 28, 29. Afterward 
as the man was dying, the minister came again 
and tenderly questioned him. He could not 
speak, but placing a finger of his right hand into 
the palm of his left, and closing his fingers 
tightly over it, he looked up, with a radiant 
smile, more expressive than words. The Rev. 
John Adams when dying said: "No clouds 
now darken my prospect, no doubts disquiet 



96 ASSURANCE OF ETERNAL UFB 

my mind ; a perfect peace and tranquility fill 
my heart, and a hope of glorious immortality 
gladdens my soul." 

The first Epistle of St. John is addressed 14 to 
you that believe on the name of the Son of 
God." Its purpose is to give assurance of 
eternal life. St. John concludes his Gospel by 
stating that it was written in order that we 
might believe in Jesus and have eternal life. 
( John 20 : 31.) But his first Epistle he declares 
was written that we might know we have 
eternal life. The expressions 11 we know," 
"ye know," and "have known" occur thirty- 
two times in this epistolary communication. 
St. John is the chief, the foremost authority on 
the doctrine of assurance ; he is solicitous that 
we should possess certainty of knowledge con- 
cerning our salvation, that we should know 
that our sins are forgiven, that we are saved, 
that we are the children of God, that we have 
eternal life. 

There are also other Scriptures, which teach 
this same precious doctrine of Christian assur- 
ance. Various biblical writers knew of it and 
evince their faith in it. Assurance is voiced by 
the utterance of Job : "I know that my Re- 
deemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the 



ASSURANCE OF ETERNAI, UFE 97 

latter day upon the earth : and though after 
my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my 
flesh shall I see God, whom I shall see for 
myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not 
another.' ' Job 19:25-27. David was assured 
of his salvation. When the angel clad in 
black came and removed the beloved infant 
son of the king, David was comforted by his 
belief in heaven, and displayed his confidence 
in these memorable words, — " I shall go to 
him, but he shall not return to me." 2 Sam. 
12 : 23. The heart of St. Paul was full of faith 
and hope, and many of his utterances are 
redolent with the fragrance of assurance. 
" For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." 
Phil. 1:21. "I know whom I have believed, 
and am persuaded that he is able to keep that 
which I have committed unto him against that 
day." 2 Tim. 1: 12. "We know that if our 
earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, 
we have a building of God, an house not made 
with hands, eternal in the heavens." 2 Cor. 
5:1. "The time of my departure is at hand. 
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my 
course, I have kept the faith ; henceforth there 
is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, 
which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give 



98 ASSURANCE OF ET^RNAI, UFE 

me at that day : and not to me only, but unto 
all them also that love his appearing." 2 Tim. 
4 : 6-8. " I am in a strait betwixt two, having 
a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which 
is far better. ,, Phil. 1 : 23. The words of St. 
Paul plainly indicate that he possessed the 
assurance of his salvation. This knowledge 
made him strong in life, and filled him with 
confidence in death. If he had been in doubt 
as to his salvation, he would not have welcomed 
death. Those who are without assurance abhor 
the thought of death, and wish to elude his icy 
grasp. Our Savior taught this inspiring doc- 
trine of assurance. " Jesus knew that his hour 
was come that he should depart out of this 
world unto the Father 99 ; and He knew * ' that 
he was come from God, and went to God." 
John 13 : 1,3. Jesus had assurance, and 
encouraged His disciples in the belief that they 
too might enjoy it. Upon their return from a 
successful evangelistic campaign, the Apostles 
greatly exulted in reporting to their Lord what 
things had been achieved in His name. There- 
upon Jesus said to them : " Rejoice, because 
your names are written in heaven ! 99 Luke 
10 : 20. The Apostles could not rejoice, unless 
they knew that their names were written in 



ASSURANCE) OF ETERNAL UFE 99 

heaven. This command of Jesus implies, that 
as His disciples we may know here and now 
amid our toils and cares, that our names are 
recorded in the Lamb's book of life, that the 
heavenly inheritance is our eternal portion. 
As believers we may know that we are right 
with God, accepted and redeemed. "Ye may 
know that ye have eternal life." Blessed pos- 
sibility ! 

Many Bible characters, notables named and 
nameless, were possessors of this blessed assur- 
ance. The heroic and illustrious Daniel pos- 
sessed it. The Lord said unto him: "Go thy 
way till the end be, for thou shalt rest, and 
stand in thy lot at the end of the days." Dan. 
12 : 13. Isaiah had assurance given to him, 
when a live coal from off the altar was laid 
upon his mouth: "Thine iniquity is taken 
away, and thy sin is purged.' ' Isa. 6:7. To 
the paralytic we hear our Savior say : " Son, 
be of good cheer ; thy sins be forgiven thee." 
Matt. 9: 2. Similar words of assurance were 
spoken by our gracious Lord in Simon's house 
to the weeping woman, who washed our 
Savior's feet with her tears : * ' Thy sins are 
forgiven." Luke 7: 48. To the crucified 
malefactor, who believed and prayed, Jesus 



LofC. 



100 ASSURANCE OF ETERNAL LIFE 

gave assurance in these beautiful words : 
"Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be 
with me in paradise." Luke 23: 43. The 
martyr Stephen had the blessed assurance ; his 
dying utterance evinces it : " Behold, I see the 
heavens opened, and the Son of man standing 
on the right hand of God." "kord Jesus, 
receive my spirit." Acts 7 : 56, 59. 

One of the best definitions of Christian assur- 
ance is furnished us in a doctrinal standard of 
faith, venerable with age, and eminently scrip- 
tural in its teachings: "What is thy only 
comfort in life and death ? That I with body 
and soul, both in life and death, am not my 
own, but belong .unto my faithful Savior Jesus 
Christ ; Who with His precious blood hath 
fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me 
from all the power of the devil ; and so pre- 
serves me that, without the will of my heavenly 
Father, not a hair can fall from my head ; yea, 
that all things must be subservient to my sal- 
vation ; and therefore, by His Holy Spirit He 
also assures me of eternal life, and makes me 
sincerely willing and ready henceforth to live 
unto Him." In this same confession of faith 
Christian assurance is further defined as fol- 
lows : "True faith is not only a certain 



ASSURANCE OF ETERNAL UFE 101 

knowledge, whereby I hold for truth all that 
God has revealed to us in his word ; but also an 
assured confidence, which the Holy Ghost 
works by the Gospel in my heart; that not 
only to others, but to me also, remission of 
sin, everlasting righteousness, and salvation, 
are freely given by God ; merely of grace, only 
for the sake of Christ's merits." 

How inspiring and happifying it would be 
to have the assurance of eternal life! What 
peace and joy would fill the soul ! What 
strength for service would be imparted ! This, 
dear friend, is possible to every believer, and 
it is what our Lord yearns for us to enjoy. 
This certitude of knowledge, this assured con- 
fidence is for every Christian. We may look 
away to the Father's House on high, and say — 
* There is a mansion for me.' We may behold 
the King on His throne and say, — 'Jesus is 
mine.' We may scan the pages of the Lamb's 
book of life and say, — 'My name is written 
there*' We may forecast the scenes of the 
resurrection and say, — ' I shall awake with His 
likeness and be satisfied.' We may anticipate 
the stupendous transactions of the great day of 
judgment and aver, — 4 At that day I shall with 
all the righteous enter into life everlasting/ 



102 assurance; of eternal ufe 

Christ in me is my hope of glory. Blessed be 
His name ! Worthy is the Lamb that was 
slain to receive honor, and glory, and blessing ! 
(Rev. 5 : 12.) 

" I suppose there has scarcely ever been a 
Christian who has not, at some time or other, 
had the most painful doubts concerning his 
acceptance in the Beloved. All God's children 
will have paroxysms of doubt even though 
they be usually strong in faith. Again, may 
a man so cultivate his faith that he may be 
infallibly sure that he is a child of God — so 
sure that he has made no mistake — so sure 
that all the doubts and fears which may be 
thrust upon him may not be able at that time to 
get an advantage over him? I answer, yes, 
decidedly he may. A man may, in this life, be 
as sure of his acceptance in the Beloved as he 
is of his own existence. Nay, he not only 
may, but there are some of us who have 
enjoyed this precious state and privilege for 
years ; we do not mean for years together— 
our peace has been interrupted, we have now 
and then been subjected to doubts; but I have 
known some — I knew one especially, who said 
that for thirty years he had enjoyed almost 
invariably a full sense of his acceptance in 



ASSURANCE OF ETBRNAI, UFE 103 

Christ.' ' (Spurgeon.) In an illness a few 
years ago I thought I was going to die. I so 
told a brother minister after my recovery. At 
once he very seriously inquired, — " Brother, 
how did you feel just then?" I replied, — 
" Physically I felt greatly distressed ; spiritu- 
ally I felt my entire reliance upon God and 
complete security in Jesus Christ." The 
brother exclaimed, — "Praise the I^ord!" "I 
know whom I have believed, and am per- 
suaded that he is able to keep that which I 
nave committed unto him against that day." 
2 Tim. i : 12. I am not my own, but belong 
unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ, who has 
redeemed me with His precious blood, and 
Who by His Holy Spirit assures me of eternal 
life. 

All Christians may have the comfort and 
blessing of the assurance of eternal life. Assur- 
ance is not for all church-members, but for all 
who are abiding in Christ. There are several 
classes of church-members who are not and 
cannot be assured. Those in our churches 
who are unconverted can have no assurance of 
salvation. " Except ye be converted, and 
become as little children, ye shall not enter 
into the kingdom of heaven." Matt. 18 : 3. 



104 ASSURANCE OF ETERNAL LIFE 

Those who are not working for Christ can have 
no assurance. " Work out your own salvation 
with fear and trembling. For it is God that 
worketh in you both to will and to do of his 
good pleasure." Phil. 2 : 12, 13. Those who 
are not confessing Christ can extract no com- 
fort from this doctrine of assurance. " Who- 
soever shall confess that Jesus is the Son 
of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God." 
1 John 4: 15. "Be ready always to give an 
answer to every man that asketh you a reason 
of the hope that is in you." 1 Peter 3 : 15. 
" With the heart man believeth unto righteous- 
ness ; and with the mouth confession is made 
unto salvation." Rom. 10: 10. Assurance of 
eternal life is the prerogative of all Christians, 
but all Christians do not have assurance. 
Many live beneath their exalted privileges. 
Faith is the root and assurance is the fruit. 
We know wherever there is fruit there must be 
a vital root ; but we know also that some roots 
have not produced fruit. All Christians have 
the root of faith, but all have not yet the fruit 
of assurance. The words of St. John — "that 
ye may know " — imply that some are without 
assurance, but also that they may obtain this 
great blessing. May the Holy Spirit of God 



ASSURANCE OF ETERNAL UFE 105 

cause such to increase and grow, and bring them 
to the assured confidence of their acceptance 
in Christ. 

We may say there are two kinds of grounds 
of Christian assurance — external and internal. 
The external evidences are first in time and 
importance. We point to the Lord Jesus Christ 
as our ground of hope. "He is the propitia- 
tion for our sins." "Your sins are forgiven 
you for his name's sake." i John 2: 2, 12. 
"He was manifested to take away our sins." 
1 John 3:5. " Faithful is the saying and wor- 
thy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came 
into the world to save sinners." 1 Tim. 1 : 15. 
By looking to Christ, as the Israelites looked at 
the brazen serpent, we have the assurance of 
eternal life. (John 3: 14-16.) When I am 
looking at the sun I know that I behold that 
great luminary. Its effulgence is the proof of 
my vision. When I regard Jesus with faith, I 
know that I see my Light, my Sun of righ- 
teousness, and my Salvation. 

The cross of Christ is another external 
ground of assurance. " He was delivered for 
our offences." Rom. 4: 25. "The blood of 
Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sins." 
j John 1 : 7. "Behold the Lamb of God, which 



106 assurance; of eternai, ufe 

taketh away the sin of the world. ' ' John i : 29. 
" God commendeth his love towards us, in that 
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." 
Rom. 5:8. " Ye know that ye were not 
redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and 
gold, but with the precious blood of Christ." 
1 Peter 1: 18, 19. "God forbid that I should 
glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus 
Christ." Gal. 6: 14. To the Jew blood was 
the assurance, that the angel would not destroy 
any in his house. If I contemplate the cross 
and take my stand beneath its shadow as a 
sinner, peace comes into my soul. "Jesus 
paid it all." 

The word of God is another external ground 
of our assurance. "There is therefore now no 
condemnation to them which are in Christ 
Jesus." Rom. 8:1. "I am the door: by me 
if any man enter in, he shall be saved." John 
10: 9. "He that believeth on the Son hath 
everlasting life." John 3: 36. Stand on the 
word of God ; it cannot fail. Zacharias was 
struck dumb for doubting God's word. 

The internal evidences of our acceptance 
with Christ are revealed to Christian conscious- 
ness. The basal experience is that of regenera- 
tion, of the new birth. Without being born of 



assurance; of eternai, ufe 107 

-the Spirit no one can have assurance of eternal 
life. " Except a man be born again, he cannot 
see the kingdom of God." John 3: 3. He 
that " doth not commit sin," " every one that 
loveth," "whosoever believeth that Jesus is 
the Christ " is born of God. 1 John 3 : 954: 7 ; 
5:1. Believing on Christ is the most familiar 
evidence of our acceptance, and Scripture 
emphasizes this requisite by repeated mention. 
(John 3: 16, 36.) It is very easy to know 
whether you are an infidel or a believer. He 
that is indwelt by the Holy Spirit has another 
and most potent proof of his acceptance with 
the Iyord. " If any man have not the Spirit of 
Christ, he is none of his." Rom. 8: 9. "We 
know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit 
which he hath given us." 1 John 3 : 24. The 
Spirit proves His presence by the fruits of love, 
joy, peace, and such like. (Gal. 5 : 22, 23.) 
The indwelling Spirit gives assurance by testi- 
fying to the heart of the believer. "He that 
believeth on the Son of God hath the witness 
in himself." 1 John 5 : 10. "The Spirit Him- 
self beareth witness with our spirit, that we 
are the children of God." Rom. 8: 16. 
Another inward token of divine acceptance is 
love for the brethren. The keeping of the 



108 ASSURANCE OF ETERNAL EIFE 

"new commandment" (John 13: 34) proves 
us possessors of the life of Christ. " We know 
that we have passed from death unto life, 
because we love the brethren. 5, 1 John 3 : 14. 
Nothing is easier than to know whether we 
love a person. The test is not only easy, but 
decisive. "He that dwelleth in love dwelleth 
in God, and God in him." 1 John 4: 16. 

Unassured soul, what shall I say to you ? If 
not a child of God, then a child of Satan. Can 
you continue such without fear? Christ is 
coming surely and quickly, and you know not 
when. Oh, do get ready ! Men are dying all 
around you. London has a death every eight 
minutes; one hundred and eighty die daily 
there. One hundred thousand persons on an 
average die daily in the whole world. What a 
march to eternity ! An unhappy man said : 1 1 1 
have lived uncertain, I die doubtful, I know 
not whither I am going." Seek assurance of 
eternal life ! Look on Christ, on His cross, on 
His finished work, and on His imperishable 
word ! 

All ahead is glorious to him that is assured 
of his salvation. He looks for a glorious body. 
M We look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 
who shall change our vile body that it may be 



assurance; of eternal UFE 109 

fashioned like unto his glorious body." Phil. 
3 : 20, 21. He looks for glorious garments, all 
spotless and pure. " These are they which 
came out of great tribulation, and have washed 
their robes, and made them white in the blood 
of the Lamb." Rev. 7 : 14. He anticipates a 
glorious vision. " Father, I will that they also, 
whom thou hast given me, be with me where I 
am; that they may behold my glory." John 
17:24. He expects a glorious character. "It 
doth not yet appear what we shall be ; but we 
know that, when he shall appear, we shall be 
like him." 1 John 3 : 2. He has the promise 
of a glorious crown. " Be thou faithful unto 
death, and I will give thee a crown of life." 
Rev. 2: 10. He looks for a glorious and 
exalted position in the world to come. "To 
him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me 
in my throne." Rev. 3 : 21. To know that we 
have eternal life is "joy unspeakable and full 
of glory." 

" Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine ! 
O, what a foretaste of glory divine ! 
Heir of salvation, purchase of God, 
Born of His Spirit, wash'd in His blood ! " 



V 




The Resurrection of Life 



VIII 



THE RESURRECTION OF LIFE 

The hour is coming, in the which all that 
are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall 
come forth; they that have done good, unto 
the resurrection of life; and they that have 
done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. 
John 5 : 28, 29. 

All of the dead will rise. " All that are in 
the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come 
forth." It is the plain undoubted teaching of 
the Bible, that there will be a resurrection of 
all the dead. This teaching is found both in 
the Old and New Testament. " Many of them 
that sleep in the dust . of the earth shall 
awake, some to everlasting life, and some to 
shame and everlasting contempt." Dan. 12 : 2. 
4 * There shall be a resurrection of the dead, 
both of the just and unjust." Acts 24 115. It 
is established therefore by * c the good word of 
God," that all the dead shall live again, that all 
who sleep in earth and sea will arise. This is 
clearly the teaching of Christianity, and is 
accepted by all who believe the Holy Scriptures* 



114 THE RESURRECTION OF UFE 

It is a glorious, comforting, and wonderful reve- 
lation. Without the aid of Revelation philoso- 
phers have been able to spell out the doctrine 
of the immortality of the soul ; but the fact of 
the resurrection from the dead, of the immor- 
tality of the body, never occurred to mankind. 
This truth is known only from sacred Scrip- 
ture. " This corruptible (body) must put on 
incorruption, and this mortal (body) must put 
on immortality.' * i Cor. 15 : 53. 

The popular belief is that all the dead will rise 
at one and the same time. The common teach- 
ing is that there will be a general, universal,, 
promiscuous resurrection of the dead ; that 
just and unjust, holy and unholy, pure and 
impure, believers and unbelievers will rise from 
the dead on the same eventful day. The com- 
monly accepted belief and doctrine is, that 
" the resurrection of life* ' and "the resurrec- 
tion of damnation" will take place simul- 
taneously "at the last day.*' To us and to 
many other minds this is not the correct inter- 
pretation of Scripture. We do not understand 
the Bible to teach a general, promiscuous 
resurrection ; but on the contrary we under- 
stand that there will be a day of resurrection 
for the just and a day of resurrection for the 



the; resurrection of life 115 

unjust, and that these will be widely apart in 
point of time. A long period will intervene 
between the first and second resurrections. 
They will be separated by the millennium, 
(Rev. 20 : 4-6.) There will be a wide differ- 
ence in the condition of those who will be 
raised from the dead. Some will arise to 
"everlasting life," and others to "shame and 
everlasting contempt.' 5 This post-resurrection 
difference in condition will be due to the 
ante-mortem difference in character. The living 
consist of two great classes, — those in Christ 
and those out of Christ. So will there be two 
classes in the resurrection, — the just and the 
unjust, the good and the evil, those who 
fell asleep in Jesus and those who died 
"without God and without hope." "All 
shall come forth; they that have done good, 
unto the resurrection of life, and they tha* 
have done evil, unto the resurrection of judg- 
ment." 

It is the purpose of this sermon to devote 
itself to the consideration of the resurrection 
unto life everlasting, the resurrection of the 
believing dead. This resurrection will intro- 
duce the righteous into the kingdom of life 
eternal. From the New Testament we may 



116 THE RESURRECTION OF I,IFE 

learn many beautiful and interesting things 
concerning "the resurrection of life." 

The resurrection unto life eternal is " the first 
resurrection. " The oldest book in the New 
Testament is the first epistle of Paul to the 
Thessalonians. This epistle declares that 
"the dead in Christ shall rise first." i Thess. 
4:16. " But the rest of the dead lived not again 
until the thousand years were finished. This 
is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is 
he that hath part in the first resurrection; on 
such the second death hath no power, but they 
shall be Priests of God and of Christ, and shall 
reign with him a thousand years. ' ' Rev. 20 : 5, 6. 
Those who obtain eternal life here in this pres- 
ent time will participate in " the resurrection of 
life," and reign with Christ during His millen- 
nial glory of a thousand years upon the earth. 

The resurrection of life is eclectic; it is the 
select, choice, special, particular resurrection. 
Our Savior tells us in Iyuke 14 : 12 and 13 how 
to give a dinner, and what the reward will be 
for a feast given after His conception. Then 
in Luke 14 : 14 He adds: "Thou shalt be re- 
compensed at the resurrection of the just." 
Observe that Jesus does not say " at the resur- 
rection," but " at the resurrection of the just." 



THE RESURRECTION OF LJFE 117 

He does not mean an ordinary, common 
resurrection, but the awaking of the just, the 
holy and blessed souls who fell asleep in Jesus. 
It is the coming forth from the graves of those, 
who will not come into judgment, but who 
have the glorious resurrection unto eternal life. 
When 11 the resurrection of the just" takes 
place the unjust will not awake, but sleep on 
another thousand years during the millennium; 
they will not hear " the voice of the arch-angel, 
and the trump of God, " at which "the just," 
" the dead in Christ" will arise. 

The resurrection of life is the superior resur- 
rection. Allusion is made to it in Hebrews n : 
35 in these words : " That they might obtain a 
better resurrection." The inspired pensman 
in the eleventh of Hebrews speaks of heroes 
and heroines of faith, and declares that they 
endured persecution and death in order "that 
they might obtain a better (superior) resur- 
rection." They were not willing to die in the 
hope of a resurrection of the common, ordinary 
sort; but they preferred to suffer and die as 
martyrs for Christ and " for the word of God," 
so that theirs might be the " better resur- 
rection." It is not the after results that are 
better, but the resurrection itself is superior. 



118 THE RESURRECTION OF LIFE 

" They that have done good," like the heroes 
of faith, shall have " the resurrection of life." 

The resurrection of life is exclusive. 11 Now 
is Christ risen from (among) the dead, and 
become the first fruits of them that slept." 
11 Christ the first fruits ; afterward they that are 
Christ's at his coming." i Cor. 15: 20, 23. 
Jesus Christ is the only person who has ever 
had a resurrection in the true biblical sense. 
Many persons have been restored from death 
unto life, but they all died again. Resurrection 
means rising from death unto life nevermore to 
die. Jesus, "the Resurrection and the Life," 
is the only person Who has had such a revival 
from the dead. (Rev. 1: 18.) Therefore He 
has "become the first fruits of them that 
slept." The after fruits will be gathered "at 
the coming of Christ," in the resurrection of 
life. Then will be raised 14 the dead in Christ " 
and they only ; it will be an exclusive resur- 
rection. To the believing dead Christ has 
promised His help and power in the resurrec- 
tion, — "I will raise him up at the last day." 
(John 6: 39, 40, 44, 54.) Those who are out 
of Christ will sleep on until they are summoned 
to the terrible judgment at the " great white 
throne." (Rev. 20: 11.) 



THE RESURRECTION OF UFE 119 

The resurrection of life is Christ-like. It is 
after the fashion, the similitude of Christ's 
resurrection. This fact is beautifully set forth 
in the fifteenth chapter of first Corinthians. 
Christ was raised in glory, in power, in incor- 
ruption, in immortality, and a spiritual body. 
Those who are asleep in Jesus shall be raised 
after the same manner " at his coming.' ' " So 
also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown 
in corruption ; it is raised in incorruption : it is 
sown in dishonor ; it is raised in glory : it is 
sown in weakness ; it is raised in power : it is 
sown a natural body ; it is raised a spiritual 
body." i Cor. 15: 42-44. "The dead shall be 
raised incorruptible," just as Jesus was raised. 
This however does not apply to all the dead, 
but only to those " that are Christ's," to those 
who prior to their decease had "passed from 
death unto life." 

The resurrection of life is the preeminent 
one. Our Savior dignifies it as " the resurrec- 
tion . " In the gospel of I^uke 20 : 35 and 36 our 
I^ord speaks of those " who shall be accounted 
worthy to obtain the resurrection from (among) 
the dead." He says they will not die any 
more, that they are equal unto the angels, that 
they are the children of God, and "the 



120 THE RESURRECTION OF UFE 

children of the resurrection.' ' The wicked, the 
impenitent, the children of Satan, those who 
will die the second death, will have a resurrec- 
tion; but "the children of God" will have 
" the resurrection," the first, the eclectic, the 
superior, the exclusive, the Christ-like, the 
preeminent resurrection. 

The resurrection of life is the out-resurrection, 
the resurrection from among the dead. After 
His transfiguration Jesus said to His disciples : 
" Tell no man what things ye have seen, till the 
Son of man be risen from (among) the dead." 
"They questioned one with another what the 
rising from (among) the dead should mean." 
Mark 9 : 9, 10. Why did these disciples marvel 
and question ? Did they not know there would 
be a resurrection from the dead? Certainly, 
but they wondered what was meant by rising 
from among the dead. They knew about a 
resurrection, but had never heard of a rising 
from among the dead. This was new escha- 
tology to them and caused them to question. 
Did Jesus rise from among the dead ? In His 
death the body of Jesus was laid in the new 
tomb of His wealthy friend, Joseph of Ari- 
mathsea ; other graves were round about it. 
But when Jesus arose from the sepulchre not 



THE RESURRECTION OF >UFE 121 

another dead person in all that cemetery came 
forth. Jesus arose from among the dead just as 
He had predicted He would arise. The rest of 
the dead round about Joseph's tomb remained 
asleep when Jesus arose. His was a rising from 
among the dead, an out-resurrection. Such 
will be the resurrection of life at His coming. 
Then two will be asleep in one grave ; one will 
be raised and taken, and the other will sleep 
on and be left. If Jesus were to come to-day 
what scenes would be enacted in our ceme- 
teries ! From that grave on the hillside a 
mother would be taken, and a father would be 
left. From that grave in the churchyard a 
husband would be taken and a wife would be 
left. From that family vault in the necropolis 
would be called forth the one that served Jesus, 
and all the rest who loved this present world 
and served it would be left behind. At the 
return of our Lord will take place "the resur- 
rection of life," when all the sleeping saints 
will arise and enter into life everlasting ; but 
the rest of the dead will not live again "till 
the thousand years are finished," not until the 
millennium is ended. Blessed and holy and 
happy are they that have part in the resurrec- 
tion of life ! 



122 THE RESURRECTION OF UFE 

Saint Paul understood this subject of the 
resurrection of life. Read his earnest words in 
Philippians 3 : 8-n, — "I count all things but 
loss for the excellency of the knowledge of 
Christ Jesus my Lord : for whom I have suffered 
the loss of all things, and do count them but 
dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in 
him, not having mine own righteousness, 
which is of the law, but that which is through 
the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is 
of God by faith : that I may know him, and 
the power of his resurrection, and the fellow- 
ship of his sufferings, being made conformable 
unto his death ; if by any means I might 
attain unto the resurrection of the dead." St. 
Paul labored to know the power of Christ's 
resurrection ; he strove to " attain unto the out- 
resurrection from amorjg the dead." If there 
will be no difference in the resurrection, if 
there will be one common, promiscuous, gen- 
eral rising from the dead, why did St. Paul 
labor that ' by any means he might attain unto 
the resurrection of the dead ' ? If he would 
rise from the dead at any rate, why strive for a 
resurrection ? Would he not rise from the 
dead under any circumstance ? He might have 
remained a Pharisee, yea even a persecutor of 



THE RESURRECTION OF UFE 123 

Christ, and he still would rise from the dead. 
If there is only one resurrection, and only one 
sort of resurrection, St. Paul might have saved 
his pains, he might have spared his efforts^ he 
might have taken it easy about the resurrec- 
tion ; and thousands of church-members in our 
day could have shown him how to take it easy. 
But not so with the earnest, thoughtful, enlight- 
ened Apostle ! He knew of the " out-resurrec- 
tion from among the dead," of the resurrection 
©f life, and he lived so that he might be 
accounted worthy to attain unto it. Dear 
friend, let us resolve together to live in Christ 
by faith, that we may die in the blessed assur- 
ance of the resurrection unto life everlasting ! 

Our Father in heaven, we praise Thee for 
our life physical and spiritual. We praise Thee 
for the gift of life eternal, and for all the mar- 
velous revelations concerning it. Impress Thy 
truth deeply and indelibly upon our hearts. 
Confirm and strengthen our faith in Christ. 
Enable us to know Christ and the power of His 
resurrection. Keep us evermore in vital union 
and blessed fellowship with "the Way, the 
Truth, and the Life." Pardon us of our sins 
and purify us by the blood of the Lamb. Fill 
us with the Holy Spirit, and make our lives 



124 THE RESURRECTION OF LIFE 

radiant with the sunshine of love and with the 
ministry of well-doing. Finally minister unto 
us "an entrance abundantly into the everlast- 
ing kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus 
Christ," that we may live with Thee in eternal 
happiness to glorify and praise Thee. For 
Jesus' sake. Amen. 



' OV 4 1901 



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